AB Ireland – February 2013

AB Ireland – February 2013

AB
NUMBERS UP
A YEAR OF TWO HALVES FOR THE MOTOR INDUSTRY
ACCOUNTING AND BUSINESS IRELAND 02/2013
THE END OF CASH
MONEY IN A POST-BANKNOTE WORLD
SMEs ISME LOOKS AHEAD ON BOARD BECOMING A NED HEALTH QUALIFYING EXPENSES
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Editor’s choice
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The death of cash has long been heralded but now it appears the world’s economies are increasingly ready to move on from notes and coins. I’ve highlighted some articles you shouldn’t miss below
GET AHEAD OR CATCH UP
This month’s main feature and main interview offer differing but complimentary examples of the kind of socioeconomic change that is likely to distinguish this decade. By 2020, it is virtually certain that electronic payment, of a kind many of us have yet to even try, will have taken the lead over paper and plastic alternatives, eliminating cheques entirely and putting an expiry date on coins and notes as a means of transaction Meanwhile, another development that, only a few years ago, was more the butt of jokes than the dream of futurologists, is also on the verge of becoming a tangible reality. The day of the electric car may not quite have dawned, but the first glimmers are certainly evident, and when one of its most ardent champions is the member society for the car industry in Ireland, it is time to take its advent seriously. The repercussions for the global economy from both of these developments would be hard to understate. Accountants are well used to the idea of change as a given but, in the current economic climate, there has been a tendency to see change as something imposed on us as we search for recovery amidst economic challenge. Embracing what lies ahead requires an altogether more positive frame of mind. How we measure up will mean all the difference between whether we have the edge over change or whether others take the lead and leave us in a perpetual catch-up mode. Donal Nugent, donal.nugent@accaglobal.com
NUMBERS UP Tom Cullen ACCA on the value of membership of ACCA and a brighter future for the motor industry in Ireland Page 12
SEVEN TIPS Seven quick practice management tips that could help transform how your business performs in 2013 Page 23
RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS APP
The new release of our app explores finance function transformation, in particular shared services and outsourcing. To download it, visit www.accaglobal.com/riapp, or just search for ‘ACCA Insights’ in the iTunes App Store
BIG AMBITIONS?
For your next move, check out www.accacareers. ie
AB IRELAND EDITION CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2013
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 2
Ireland editor Donal Nugent donal.nugent@accaglobal.com +353 (0)1 289 3305 Editor-in-chief Chris Quick chris.quick@accaglobal.com +44 (0) 20 7059 5966 Design manager Jackie Dollar jackie.dollar@accaglobal.com +44 (0) 20 7059 5620 Designers Robert Mills, Barry Sheehan Production manager Ciaran Brougham ciaran.brougham@accaglobal.com +353 (0) 1 289 3305 Advertising John Sheehan john.sheehan@accaglobal.com +353 (0) 1 289 3305 Bryan Beasley bryan.beasley@accaglobal.com +353 (0) 1 289 3305 London advertising James Fraser jfraser@educate-direct.com +44 (0) 20 7902 1224 Richard McEvoy rmcevoy@educate-direct.com +44 (0)20 7902 1221 Head of publishing Adam Williams adam.williams@accaglobal.com +44 (0) 20 7059 5601 Printing RV International Pictures Corbis ACCA President Barry Cooper FCCA Deputy president Martin Turner FCCA Vice-president Anthony Harbinson FCCA Chief executive Helen Brand OBE ACCA Ireland President Tom Murray FCCA Deputy president Diarmuid Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donovan FCCA Vice-president Anne Keogh FCCA Head - ACCA Ireland Liz Hughes Tel +353 (0)1 447 5678 Fax +353 (0)1 496 3615 info@accaglobal.com
Accounting and Business is published by ACCA 10 times per year. All views expressed within the title are those of the contributors.
The Council of ACCA and the publishers do not guarantee the accuracy of statements by contributors or advertisers, or accept responsibility for any statement that they may express in this publication. The publication of an advertisement does not imply endorsement by ACCA of a product or service. Copyright ACCA 2013
Accounting and Business. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or distributed without the express written permission of ACCA. Accounting and Business Ireland is published by IFP Media, 31 Deansgrange Road, Blackrock, Co Dublin, Ireland +353 (0)1 289 3305
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Features
12 Numbers up Tom Cullen ACCA talks about a year of two halves for the Irish motor industry 16 The death of cash 2013 could be a pivotal year in the decline of physical money as new methods of payment come on stream
ACCA Ireland 9 Leeson Park Dublin 6 tel: +353 (0)1 447 5678 www.accaglobal.com/ireland Audit period July 2011 to June 2012 148,106
There are six different versions of Accounting and Business: China, Ireland, International, Malaysia, Singapore and UK. See them all at www.accaglobal.com/ab
Worldwide
Regulars
BRIEFING
06 News in pictures A different view of recent headlines 08 News in graphics We show a story as well as tell it using innovative graphs 10 News round-up A digest of all the latest news and developments
TECHNICAL
28 Technically speaking Aidan Clifford rounds up the changes accountants need to be aware of 30 NI notes Changes and updates for Northern Ireland practitioners 31 Tax diary Some important tax deadlines ahead 32 Tax – an update Cora O’Brien on changes following the 2013 Budget 34 An investment for life? Investing via life investment policies 36 What’s in store for SMEs? Mark Fielding of ISME looks ahead 40 SME checklist Advice for your SME client 42 Health check up Up-to-date advice on qualifying medical expenses 46 CPD EU enforcers make common cause 49 CPD Picking up the value points
YOUR CAREER
52 Realise Five steps to plan your CPD 54 On board Some advice on becoming a non-executive director 56 The non-proﬁt route The opportunity presented by boardmatchireland.ie 57 MBAs
VIEWPOINT
19 Every accountant’s mission ACCA president Barry Cooper on driving forward business sustainability 20 Network to grow Liz Hughes on how to take the pain out of networking
Your sector
21 PRACTICE
21 The view from Brendan Meehan FCCA 22 Seven quick practice tips
Accounting and Business is a rich source of CPD. If you read it to keep yourself up to date, it will contribute to your non-veriﬁable CPD. If you read an article, learn something new and apply that learning in some way, it will contribute to your veriﬁable CPD. Each month, we also publish an article or two with related questions to answer. If they are relevant to your development needs, they can also contribute to your veriﬁable CPD. One hour of learning equates to one unit of CPD. For more, go to www.accaglobal.com/members/cpd
CPD
25 CORPORATE
25 The view from Seamus Scullion FCCA 26 Quarterly reporting
ACCA NEWS
62 Diary 63 Approved employer 65 News
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News in pictures
The five-star Lough Erne hotel and golf resort in County Fermanagh is the venue for June’s G8 summit of world leaders Heaven help tourists visiting the Vatican who rely on plastic – it’s been cash only since credit cards were banned due to the city-state falling foul of EU moneylaundering legislation Rory McIlroy joins the Nike stable, which includes golfing star, Tiger Woods, in a deal worth a reported $200m
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02
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Dublin Castle becomes the key conferencing venue for Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s EU Presidency following a â&#x201A;Ź3m revamp
Daniel Day-Lewis wins best actor for Lincoln at the Golden Globes and is seen as the favourite to take the Oscar later this year
06 07
President Barack Obama winked as he arrived to make a press statement on the passing of the fiscal cliff deal, which will raise $620bn in tax revenue
The funeral of Australian folk legend Ned Kelly takes place in Victoria, Australia, 132 years after his death
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News in graphics
2020 TAKEAWAYS
An AIB/Amárach survey published in December 2012 points to optimism among Irish companies about growth prospects for the remainder of the decade Likelihood of changes to future business landscape
A growing number of businesses will employ ‘virtual workers’ operating from home or even other countries rather then commuting to the office A growing number of new businesses in Ireland will be started by women A growing number of existing businesses will be managed by women A growing number of businesses will be started by young people straight out of university or even as school leavers A new type of business culture will emerge in Ireland that avoids the mistakes of the past and leads to more sustainable growth for our economy A growing number of new businesses in Ireland will be started by people close to retirement age or already retired
Extremely unlikely (1) (2) (3)
(5)
(6)
Extremely likely (7)
2 2 3 3 5 8
0
3 5 6 9
25 27 25 26
27 21 17 19 14 11 8 16 17 18 14
23
3 3
5 13
7
25 25
5 5
Expectation
s for changi ng busines s structures
Potential for additional growth in different scenarios
If Ireland’s economy returned quickly to a strong and steady growth rate If business had access to optimum amount of financial resources to expand (including loans and equity) If business had ideal mix of technology in place in terms of operations, sales and skills
Growth impact (% extra)
Job impact (% extra)
32
33
IRISH OWNE D FOREIGN OW NED 187 DOME STIC MARKET FOCUS 51 EXPORT MARK ET FOCUS 76 B2B 116 B2C
TOTAL MICRO BUSIN ESSES SME CORPORATE
IS YOUR BUSINESS STRUCTURE APPROPRIATE FOR HOW TH E MARKET WILL EVOLVE OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS? SAMPLE YES – NO CHANGE NEEDED YES – LITTLE CHANGE REQUIRED NO – NO IMMEDIATE CHANGE REQUIRED NO – NO BUT WILL NEED TO CHANGE SOON NOT SURE 5
25
24
22
19
265
123
86
129 46
56
58
50
63
61
56
67
Where do you expect Ireland, your sector and your own business to be in 2020?
Ireland’s economy in 2020
Your industry or sector in 2020
Your business or organisation in 2020
10
8
8
10
4
0
9
4 67
8 59
55
62
7
9
11
9
KEY
10 7 10 12 7 10 7
Better than it is today Same as it is today
19
21
15
57
19
22
19
18
66
62
68
24
17
9
4
Worse than it is today
2 5 4 7 0 3 3
Don’t know
18 13 3
18 17 3
18 10 4
9
INSECURE ABOUT SECURITY
The human element is one of the biggest causes of information security risk, according to Deloitte’s Blurring the lines: 2013 TMT Global Security Study. Levels of thirdparty involvement, the growth of mobile devices and cloud computing, and insufficient privacy protocols all increase risk.
78% 74%
NUMBER AND TYPE OF THIRD PARTIES
INCREASED USE OF MOBILE DEVICES
LACK OF SUFFICIENT AWARENESS
70%
TWITTER
200 MSERS
U
OF NUMBER S – THE WORLD’S R E W O L COUNT FOL PULAR AC MOST PO
7,819 AGA’S 32,64L ADY G
INTERNET USERS WORLDWIDE
SYMBOLICS.COM
2.4BN
FIRST .COM ONLINE ADDRESS
IDE WORLDWTH IN 2011 WOR
ION £1 TRILL Y INDUSTR
ID WORLDW H IN 2020 WORT
RILLION Y £2.5 TE INDUSTR
Traditional stakeholder relationships are still considered the most important by senior finance staff, according to the Finance leaders survey report: December 2012, published by ACCA and the Institute of Management Accountants. www.accaglobal.com/transformation
PERFECT PARTNERS AT THE TOP
HAPPY 30TH
The internet quietly celebrated its 30th birthday on 1 January. It began life when the US defence department’s Arpanet network switched fully to an internet protocol suite communications system. Above are some figures rounded up by the UK’s Metro newspaper.
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News round-up
FORECOURT IDENTITY DECLINE EASES
ECONOMIC GROWTH
IBEC has forecast the economy will grow by 1.8% this year, marginally ahead of government forecasts. In its January forecast, the employers’ organisation says the Irish economy grew by 1.2% in 2012, a figure that positions it as the second fastest growing economy in the eurozone. IBEC believes that a modest increase in domestic demand will support stronger economic growth in 2013, with consumer confidence likely boosted by a deal on the promissory note payments.
Maxol has announced a €35m investment in its Irish service station network. The fuel company acquired five new stations as part of a €15m expansion of its retail business in 2012 and the new investment will see the company unveil a new forecourt identity across 225 service stations nationally. In a statement, the company said the investment will generate additional annual sales of €100m.
GAELTACHT STABLE
AIR TRAFFIC RECOVERY
Irish air traffic saw modest recovery in 2012, according to data released by the Irish Aviation Authority. In all, 497,859 flights were recorded in Irish controlled airspace in 2012, representing a 0.3% increase on the 2011 numbers. Dublin performed best among Irish airports with 156,582 flights, a 1.4% increase on 2011 figures, while Shannon was weakest, recording 18,200 flights in 2012, down 5.6% on 2011.
Údarás na Gaeltacht, which supports industrial development in Gaeltacht areas, announced that it created 700 new jobs last year, with total employment at supported companies standing at 7,553 by the end of 2012. In its annual report, published in January, Údarás na Gaeltacht said its client companies have stabilised their employment base, are more competitive and have a stronger export focus. However, it added that although the level of job losses has stabilised, the number of new jobs being created is not sufficient to maintain employment levels in the Gaeltacht.
Ireland’s construction industry saw a further contraction in December 2012. However, the rate of decline eased on previous months as activity, new orders and employment fell at weaker rates. The Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers index stood at 43 in December, up from 42.6 in November. A figure below 50 signals contraction in an industry, while a figure over 50 signals growth. Last year was the sixth year in a row where contraction in the construction sector was noted.
CARD GROWTH
Ireland saw a 17% rise in spending on Visa credit cards in 2012, according to figures released by the company, reaching a record €15.5bn. The company reported a 26% increase in the number of transactions to more than 200m deals and says that €1 in every €7 of consumer spending in Ireland is now on a Visa card. The company says its growth in Ireland is driven by consumers becoming more comfortable paying with its cards, especially for lower-value everyday purchases.
FAF HOLDS BACK ON IFRS
DISPOSABLE INCOME
The US Financial Accounting Foundation – the parent body of the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Government Accounting Standards Board – has backed the proposal of the International Accounting Standards Board to set up an Accounting Standards Advisory Forum. However, it refused to support US adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards and said ASAF membership should not be restricted to standard-setters committed to the adoption of IFRS. The FAF said: ‘Although the pursuit of a single set of global accounting standards is a worthy objective, a more practical goal for the foreseeable future is to achieve highly comparable (but not necessarily identical) financial reporting standards among the most developed capital markets that are based on a common set of international standards.’
New figures from the CSO show a 2.2% increase in the gross disposable income of Irish households in the third quarter of 2012. Seasonally adjusted, the figure amounted to a total of just over €23bn, representing an increase of €487m on the previous quarter. Quarterly household expenditure rose by €64m over the same period to €19.32bn. Meanwhile, on a year-onyear basis, gross savings for the total economy increased by €1.75bn, rising from €5.57bn in Q3 2011 to €7.32bn in Q3 2012.
HOTEL GROWTH
X
Dublin’s hotel sector recorded the second highest growth in revenue per available room in a survey of 19 European cities in 2012. PwC’s European Cities Hotels Forecast assessed hotel trading across 19 European cities for 2012 and found revenue per available room (RevPAR)
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growth of almost 14% was achieved in Dublin hotels in 2012, following 11.7% growth in 2011. The forecast expects RevPAR growth for the European hotel industry to slow in 2013 due largely to the prolonged economic downturn.
LEW FOR TREASURY SECRETARY
UNIVERSITY JOBS
Up to 500 jobs are planned in the next five years through the development of a new innovation campus in Dublin City University. Announced in January by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton, the new campus will be located on a site in Glasnevin, Dublin, formerly occupied by Enterprise Ireland. The development will support 200 jobs in the initial 18 months, offering access to skills and facilities to help high-tech companies grow.
EU ENTREPRENEURSHIP PLAN
Lew: key role in averting fiscal cliff
White House chief of staff Jack Lew has been nominated by President Obama to become the new Treasury secretary. ‘Over the past year, I’ve sought Jack’s advice on virtually every decision that I’ve made, from economic policy to foreign policy,’ said the president. Lew has been chief of staff since January last year. He was director of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget from 2010 for President Obama, and from 1998 to 2001 for President Clinton. He has also held senior management positions at Citigroup. Lew played a key role in averting the fiscal cliff in the negotiations between the White House and Congress. His nomination reflects the need to resolve budget problems, including the potential breach of the debt ceiling.
Europe needs more entrepreneurs and must build an economy in which entrepreneurial solutions are provided to meet major social challenges, according to an action plan published by the European Commission. It calls for a higher uptake of digital technologies, in particular among SMEs. Rosana Mirkovic, head of SME policy at ACCA, said: ‘ACCA fully supports the European Commission’s call on member states to create the right supportive environment to enable the millions of Europeans willing to start a business to do so… The EU lags behind its competitors in entrepreneurial attitudes.’
STRONG GROWTH FROM GT
GREECE ‘CONDONES EVASION’
Grant Thornton International has reported revenue growth of 10.4%, to US$4.2bn, in the year ending September 2012. This was the largest revenue improvement of any of the larger firms. The firm’s headcount rose by over 14% to 35,809 people, operating in 124 countries. Advisory revenues grew by 18%, assurance by 11% and tax by 9%. The fastestgrowing region was Asia Pacific, where revenues increased by 33%. They rose by 20% in Latin America, 18% in the Middle East, 8% in Europe and 7% in North America.
global survey of inspection findings published by the International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators. Common weaknesses in audit include lack of consistency and failure to identify root causes of negative findings. Issues of concern discussed between national inspection bodies include professional scepticism, group audits, revenue recognition and the role of the engagement quality control reviewer. The report found that inspections of international firms’ audits varied according to jurisdiction.
BANKS DOUBT CONVERGENCE
A large majority of the world’s banks doubt there will be convergence of accounting standards for financial instruments, according to a survey from Deloitte. This is despite most banks favouring such convergence. Some 88% of global banks believe that convergence is not on track, while 76% expect the scheduled 2015 timeline for finalising IFRS 9 – the standard for performance reporting and balance sheet positions – will not be met. As a result, banks are delaying their IFRS 9 implementation plans.
European Union and IMF officials are reportedly angry that the Greek government is continuing to ‘condone tax evasion’. Last year Greece collected less than half the tax income it had predicted and conducted fewer than half the audits of major taxpayers it had told foreign lenders it would perform. Reports from the EU and IMF conclude that €5.25bn of overdue tax has not been collected, with at least 80% of this uncollectable either because the debts are now too old or tax debtors are without funds.
KPMG REVENUES EDGE UP
KPMG’s global revenues rose by 1.4% to US$23bn, in the year ending September 2012. Revenues grew by more than 20% in many emerging markets, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India and Turkey. They grew by over 10% in Africa and Indonesia, and 7% in the Americas. Advisory revenues grew by 8.3%, tax by 6.3% and audit by 0.9%.
AUDIT PROBLEMS GLOBAL
Problems with audits are consistent across the world, according to a
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Interview
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NUMBERS UP
It promises to be a year of two halves for the Irish motor industry. The SIMI director Tom Cullen ACCA explains the rationale
W
hen the modern number plate system was introduced in 1987, it had the goal of bringing much needed clarity to car registration in Ireland. However, for decades afterwards, the motor industry would struggle with an inadvertent side effect: seasonality. It may have boiled down to simple vanity, but the pattern of motorists who were looking for a new car late in one year holding over until the start of the next one, so as to have an up-to-date number plate for longer, would have a significant impact on the entire sector, frontloading sales (and, later, NCT tests) to the first four or five months of the year and leaving the sector with an annual headache in terms of stock and human resources management. ‘As an industry, we had become very much like the tourism sector, with four months where we were very busy and the rest where things were quiet. But it was a model that didn’t really work for us and we saw other countries had found different ways around it,’ Tom Cullen ACCA, director of the Society of the Irish Motor Industry (the SIMI) explains. Introduced in January, the new bi-annual car registration plates address this problem for the first time, with the goal of bringing stability back to an industry rocked by economic turmoil over the last five years. Cars purchased in the first half of 2013 carry the number ‘131’, while cars bought after June will bear the number ‘132’. While it remains to be seen just what impact this will have on buying patterns, the expectation is that consumers planning to buy in Q3 or Q4 will be far less inclined to defer their
purchases to the following year. ‘The fact that 2013 was approaching certainly gave us more of an open door,’ Cullen reflects. ‘In any previous discussions, we felt the arguments about seasonality were listened to but not fully taken on board. The state felt it had a very good system, which it does, with number plate registration, but the whole year 13 issue was identified as being a potential problem. I don’t believe it would have been a huge issue in the end, but there was certainly a potential impact. If you take it that 5% of people are superstitious, the industry couldn’t afford a corresponding 5% drop in car sales, so if ever there was a good year to do it, this was it.’
Members
The SIMI has been the official voice of the motor industry in Ireland since 1968. A member organisation that reflects the entire spectrum of the industry, from dealers, repairers and vehicle distributors, to wholesalers, retailers and vehicle testers, it has proved itself an effective advocacy organisation over the years, never more so than in the last five, when it scored some significant wins on behalf of an industry that transformed, virtually overnight, from being an emblem of the Celtic Tiger to one of its biggest casualties. More striking even than the property price downturn, the collapse in car sales at the tail-end of the decade was a chilling demonstration of how access to finance and consumer sentiment had faltered post 2007. In 2000, the registration of new cars peaked above 225,000 for the first time, while, in 2008, just 57,000 new cars were registered. Behind the
collapse in sales was a story of job losses and extreme financial pressure felt across the industry. ‘When people ask me how I’m getting on, I tell them I’m really busy and the reason for that is the industry is quieter. We have seen huge pressures on our members and many new demands from them since 2007,’ Cullen says. ‘We saw about 150 dealerships close over the three years from 2008-2011. Some of our members got involved in other sectors, such as construction, during the boom and were exposed. Many built huge premises they now don’t need and are carrying large burdens of debt – so it has been a difficult and challenging environment.’ Most notable among the SIMI’s achievements on behalf on its members as they confronted the downturn was, arguably, the scrappage scheme. Introduced in December 2009, at a time when up to 10,000 jobs had been lost from the industry, the scheme allowed car buyers to claim a VRT discount of up to €1,500 on the purchase of new fuel-efficient cars, when they traded in a vehicle that was 10 years or older. In all, some 26,632 cars were sold under the deal and the SIMI says it yielded over €100m to the state. ‘At a time when the industry was haemorrhaging jobs, it stemmed the flow. One of the issues at that time was that people felt they couldn’t be seen to buy a new car. A key thing the scheme did, in addition to its economic benefits, was to change that psyche. The fact that only environmentally friendly cars were allowable was important. We were able to put an argument forward that we were helping
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The SIMI is supportive of the electric car
The CV
Graduates from TCD with a degree in information technology.
1989 1995 2001
Joins VHI, becoming key accounts manager.
Joins the SIMI.
Becomes a director of SIMI.
2005 2010
Becomes a member of ACCA.
to renew an ageing fleet. We went from losing 10,000 jobs to re-employing 4,500 people, which was huge in the middle of the downturn.’
Electric cars
The factoring in of carbon emissions into the scrappage scheme was a reflection of what Cullen says is an industry and an organisation conscious of its obligations to the environment, and aware that change is a given. ‘We would see ourselves as part of the solution rather than part of the problem,’ he says. SIMI is a corporate member of the Electrical Vehicle Association of Ireland and, he says, has huge faith in the development of the technology not just from an environmental but from a motoring point of view. ‘Ireland has a great opportunity to be a leader in the ecar agenda. We would see major exporting opportunities for software and hardware companies who can lead the development of the infrastructure here and offer it as a model for others.’ He points to a number of cluster projects run by the Electric Vehicle Association
of Ireland, as well as the ESB’s ongoing ecar project, which have helped double the electric car fleet in the last two years. While he concedes that pricing and infrastructural development continue to make the choice a difficult one for most motorists, he believes the picture is changing fast. ‘It’s important that we keep the current subsidies and grants to support uptake, but there are other non-financial incentives the state could also offer, such as the use of bus lanes for electric vehicles, benefit in kind, free parking and free tolling. These would be creative ways of getting people into the market,’ he says. He contests the perception that the electric car is a poorer driver experience, saying the anecdotal evidence to date points to the contrary ‘What people often don’t realise is how great the electric car experience is, particularly as a city car. It has great acceleration, in some cases better than a conventional car, and people who get used to driving for nothing – it can cost as little as 6 cent to fully charge a vehicle – find it hard to go back to a petrol station.’
Lobbyist
Cullen’s own evolution into an effective lobbyist has come in tandem with the SIMI’s development. ‘I would have
recognised, a few years back, that while we had very good relationships with key government departments, we were probably not as strong in terms of influencing politicians as we should be,’ he says. Starting from scratch, he ‘went from not really having a huge interest in politics to finding it a fascinating area,’ he says. ‘In the political world, you deal with the entire spectrum of society and working in the SIMI, I was used to that.’ He soon discovered the one key skill of lobbying is filtering the people that are going to be of use to your cause from those who are not. ‘You’ll find there are some politicians who are seen to be very influential and the reason is because they are very good at what they do. They are normally the ones who understand the issues very quickly and are prepared to run with them.’ Cullen’s membership of ACCA is similarly rooted in his commitment to his job. ‘As a director, I would attend board meetings and be involved in many of the projects we undertake. I
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The basics
First petrol car introduced in Ireland.
1896 1901
Royal Irish Automobile Club founded.
The DeLorean, the only car ever mass produced on the island of Ireland, ceases production after a year.
1982 1983 2013
found that I would know a lot about them until we talked finance and then I would have to take a step back. ‘A purchase of Accountancy for Dummies was the first step to addressing this deficit and sparked an interest that led first to ACCA’s Diploma in Financial Management (‘I loved it, it was a brilliant course’) to membership of ACCA. ‘I studied in the Dublin Business School and, as I live in Tramore, Co. Waterford, it was logistically a bit of a challenge, but I loved the coursework, even when I found it difficult, and the quality of the lecturers was superb. I stuck with it and became a member of ACCA in 2010.’ Cullen finds his level of participation in board meetings is now ‘totally different. I’m a lot more confident when dealing with people from a financial background. I understand the language and I understand the purpose of accounting and how it contributes to a business. It’s exactly what I wanted from ACCA and it has stood me well.’
industry’s continued role as a major revenue base. ‘From the state’s point of view, the car is a very easy method of tax collection,’ he observes. ‘The difficulty is that, because it is probably the most stable form of taxation they have, they keep hitting it, whether in fuel and excise duty, carbon taxes or motor tax.’ He believes that, with some creativity, tax collection could be developed in a way that is supportive of both economic growth and environmental targets. ‘The pay-as-yougo model for motor tax, which you see in some countries, is a very sensible model, but can be a difficult one to introduce in a challenging economic situation.’ The arguments around VRT are more clear cut, he believes. ‘There is probably €7,000 accruing to the state with every new car purchase, in terms of VAT and VRT, so increasing VRT further means that, for every one person you’ve put off buying a car, you’ve lost €7,000. We can’t see the benefit of that for anyone.’
The first section of Irish motorway, the Naas bypass, is opened.
Seasonality contributes to a change in Ireland’s number plate registration.
Revenue
While the motor industry grapples with the ongoing challenge of consumers wary of financial commitments or unable to secure the necessary credit when they wish to make them, one thing that hasn’t changed is the
Perception
With regard to consumer perceptions of the industry, Cullen found a great deal of sympathy for car dealers embroiled in financial difficulties by a public who recognised them to have been very active supporters of the local
community over the years. Looking forward, however, he says there is a trust issue that must finally be addressed. ‘We need to up our game and the quality of our offering as an industry. The internet has meant that people who previously didn’t know about cars are extremely well informed when they enter a garage looking to buy a car or avail of a service. We have to be able to reflect that and show them they are getting value for money.’ For an industry that hit rock bottom in 2008, Cullen says that, while sales have steadily increased since then, few would describe the industry as out of the woods yet. Nevertheless, he detects a clear determination to move forward. ‘Most garages are surviving. It may be by their fingertips, but they are there. If there is growth in the economy, the first sector that will see it are motor dealerships. Our industry is an industry of optimists and they always see the bright side, they will find a way through it.’ Donal Nugent, editor
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What is the future of the cash in our pockets? 2013 could be a pivotal year in the decline of physical money as new methods of payment come on stream
G
old was once described as a barbarous relic by celebrated economist John Maynard Keynes. The same may now equally be said of the notes and coins that clutter our pockets. Many futurists believe that a lot of countries would benefit from ditching paper and metal as a means of exchange. Harmless as cash may seem, they say, it is expensive to produce, especially disadvantageous for the poor, and a huge blessing for criminals and tax dodgers. 2013 could be a pivotal year in the decline of physical money. Even smaller merchants, such as taxi drivers and handymen, are increasingly able to take payment by credit card, and the technology to support ultra-convenient transactions using mobile phones is developing fast. South Korea, Sweden and Japan are even openly debating the idea of abandoning cash altogether. There is a particularly high-profile campaign to
ditch the filthy lucre in Sweden, which is, ironically enough, supported by Abba’s Björn Ulvaeus, co-writer of the song ‘Money, Money, Money’. Sweden already holds the world record for the lowest volume of cash in circulation at just 2.8% of GDP , down a fifth since 2007 and far lower than the average of 8.5% for rich nations. In addition, the world may soon be treated to a graphic illustration of the shrinking importance of cash, according to Capital Economics. The consultancy argues that if Greece exits the eurozone in a hurry the country could face a brief hiatus before a new currency could be printed. ‘Although the likely temporary absence of notes and coins does constitute a difficulty, it is not as serious as it might first seem,’ the firm’s founder Roger Bootle wrote recently in a prize-winning paper on how to break up the euro. ‘Cash has become less important over time.’ Even a brief stint without notes and coins could advertise the appeals of
going permanently cashless. So is the idea of a world without notes or coins possible or desirable? There is already plenty of evidence that cash is being used less in legitimate transactions. Over the past decade the number of credit card transactions has nearly trebled, according to the European Central Bank. In 2011 alone, non-cash payments climbed by 5%. The US appears on a similar track. And in 2010, for the first time in 30 years the US Treasury Department did not have to print any $10 bills, while $5 bills were churned at the lowest level in a generation. Britain’s Payments Council, which is charged with ensuring the smooth functioning of the payments system, says that in 2010 cash payments were 15% less than in 2000. By 2050, the body predicts, cash will be used by only a minority of payees. For the likes of David Birch, a director at consultancy Hyperion
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THE VOLUME OF CASH IN MANY NATIONS HAS BEEN RISING – PROBABLY BECAUSE THE ILLICIT DEMAND FOR NOTES IS ON THE RISE
Group, the retreat of cash is something to celebrate. ‘We need a postindustrial form of money,’ says Birch. Cash is so ubiquitous, he says, that we have become blind to just how limiting its drawbacks are. For a start cash is surprisingly expensive to print, transport, guard and process. The European Commission calculated in 2010 that the cost the highest level since records began and three times more than in 2006. Ditching cash would be a blow to criminals everywhere. ‘Of course, criminals could find workarounds,’ says Ron Shevlin, a consultant at Aite. ‘But it would make life far harder for criminals, since electronic transactions leave a trail.’ Notes also support a more routine form of dishonesty. Taking payment in cash is the easiest way to avoid paying tax for a
of processing cash payments was as high as 2% of GDP . And two years before, a McKinsey study had put the annual price tag for cash at something between €60bn and €100bn – and that was just the security, transport and production costs. The shortcomings don’t end there. ‘Cash is a tax on the poor,’ says Birch. He points out that when you hold money in cash you are essentially giving the government an interest-free loan. ‘Since poor people tend to use cash more, they suffer disproportionately.’ For the Federal Reserve in the US this generated a
profit of US$77bn in 2011 alone. While cash may be a curse for low earners, it is a positive boon for criminals. Although credit cards or internet payments are diminishing the appeal of cash for most transactions, the volume of cash in many nations has actually been rising. The most likely explanation is that the illicit demand for notes has been on the rise. The clearest example of this is the surging popularity of the US$100 bill, a favourite store of value and medium of exchange for criminals across the globe. Some three billion of these bills were printed by the US government in 2012,
large swath of workers, including builders, handymen, nannies, tutors and gardeners. In a dematerialised monetary system, tax collection would become far easier. Meanwhile, technology is making it more convenient to pay with cards or over the internet for even small transactions. An increasing number of debit cards can now be used simply by the user waving them over a reader. In Britain alone around 19.6 million of these contactless cards have been introduced, with around 73,000 terminals to support them. Transport systems too are increasingly shifting
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to prepaid cards such as Oyster on the London public transport network, which further reduces the need to carry around cash. In the US free devices from Intuit and Square allow even lone traders to take payments by credit card. These companies offer free card readers and then take roughly a 2.7% slice of each transaction. Such devices have been soaring in popularity. In addition, PayPal, which now has 100 million account holders, makes it easy for individuals to exchange money – long a bastion of cash transactions. Nor is this just a trend in rich nations. Kenya, in particular, has been leading the way. An impressive 15 million Kenyans now use M-Pesa, a service that enables customers to pay without cash. Michael Joseph, a former chief executive of the company that pioneered M-Pesa, admits to joking with the nation’s central bank governor that he will soon no longer need to print cash.
SMART WALLETS COULD AUTO-SELECT THE BEST PAYMENT METHOD, SHUNNING CREDIT CARDS WITH THE HIGHEST RATES OF INTEREST
Meanwhile ‘smart wallets’ promise to make electronic payments even more appealing. These systems would allow consumers to pay by using mobile phones or simply by typing in a phone number and adding a security code. The real joy of this innovation, which is being pioneered by the likes of Google, PayPal and Square, is that the software would automatically select the best method of payment. The system would avoid taking cash from accounts if it might trigger overdraft penalties and shun credit cards with the highest rates of interest. On the flip-side, cards with generous reward schemes would be given preference. This has the
potential to totally overshadow cash in terms of convenience and efficiency. Of course, a cashless utopia does not appeal to everyone. Shevlin, author of Aite’s report on the cashless society, believes that older citizens will cling to cash. His report showed that 81% of baby boomers in the US were not cutting back on their use of notes and coins, and about a fifth were actually using cash more than a couple of years before. At the current rate of decline, Shevlin points out, the US will still be using cash in 200 years’ time. Even the most ardent futurists admit that cash won’t disappear any time soon. But cash looks like eventually sharing the fate of gold, becoming ever less relevant as a medium of exchange. Over the coming decades, paying with notes and coins is likely to become a minority activity. Christopher Alkan, journalist based in New York
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Every accountantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission
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Driving forward business sustainability will be a critical task in the year ahead, says ACCA president Barry Cooper
I would like to take this opportunity to send you all best wishes for the Chinese New Year, which is now celebrated around the world. The Year of the Snake will be an important one not only for China and Asia, but for the whole world given the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic importance and influence. One of the key areas that Asian organisations will need to look at more closely, in common with their counterparts around the world, is how prepared they are to adopt a more sustainable approach in their operations. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important not just for how environmentally friendly businesses are perceived to be now, but for future generations too, which may have to pay a high price for any lack of global action. ACCA recently published a report, The green economy: pushes and pulls on corporate China, which asks whether corporate Asia is ready for the green economy. It concludes that the next few years will be critical ones in the shift to a more sustainable economy in Asia. All stakeholders will have to work together if sustainability is to be successfully adopted. Governments will need to promote green growth; investors will need to incorporate environmental, social and governance considerations into their decision making; and companies will need to develop goods and services that minimise their environmental and social impact. What was good to see from the report is that the business case for sustainability is gaining momentum in Asia and that leading companies are integrating sustainability into their corporate culture and decision-making processes. They are already seeing the benefits not only in terms of lower dependency on natural resources, but also in increased sales; customers from around the world are looking at sustainability issues before they make decisions about when, where and from whom to buy. As accountants, you are well placed to help businesses and the wider economy they operate in to measure, manage and report on their environmental and social impact, and to enable more organisations to adopt green practices. I wish you every success in this critical mission. Professor Barry J Cooper is head of the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance at Deakin University, Australia
The green economy is available at www. accaglobal.com/ accountability
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Comment
Network to grow
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Liz Hughes on adding an important dimension to your business strategy in 2013
if you are going to do business with new businesses, it is a lot easier to engage with someone that you have already developed a rapport with. I am not saying that you’ll have sourced a prospective business partner after five minutes but you’ll have a pretty good idea whether you would like to meet them again based on your first encounter. I have no doubt that at least half of you have groaned or grimaced at the thought of networking. Rest assured, it’s a phobia that puts you in very good company. While Irish people have a reputation for being open and friendly, active networking is not something that tends to come easily to us. In today’s environment, it has become an essential part of how we do business. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be that hard.
Advice
Sean Weafer is a networking expert who has shared some sound and practical advice with ACCA members when it comes to networking. Sean highlights the importance of a few key factors: choosing the correct event; targeting the people you wish to see; identifying ‘open’ groups who will welcome the opportunity for new conversation; and knowing how to make the approach. ACCA’s programme of events for 2013 is the perfect starting point for making new contacts and refining your network skills. And, of course, it’s important to continue your networking on a virtual basis through LinkedIn (completing your LinkedIn profile will be covered in my next article...). Check out www.SeanWeafer.com for more tips and tricks on networking and www.accaglobal.com/ireland for the ACCA 2013 CPD events programme.
Structure
I have been in the fortunate position of attending a number of networking events in my role as head of ACCA Ireland. At some of these events, rather than leave everyone to their own devices and organically network (which, experience shows, tends to result in a mass exodus after a few minutes), we have started to include a structured networking component. This involves getting members to chat to someone they didn’t know before, for five minutes, and then moving onto the next new contact. In half an hour, participants have six new contacts and chances are that at least one of these is someone they might be able to do business with, or learn from, or introduce to someone else. The bottom line is that people do business with people. Human nature encourages us to help others and,
Liz Hughes is head of ACCA Ireland. Email Liz.Hughes@accaglobal.com
Practice
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The view from:
Dublin: Brendan Meehan FCCA, Meehan & Associates
Q What lessons have you learned about business? A All businesses are essentially about generating revenue. Ideally, much of the value added should originate and stay here in the Irish economy. Irish Distillers, Kerry Foods, Diageo/Guinness and the agricultural sector are once again the darlings of the stock market. They manufacture consumables from local natural resources that are repeatedly purchased using earned rather than borrowed money. The Gathering project emphasises the importance of domestic tourism. These sectors trigger job creation and they are rooted in the Irish economy. In turn, suppliers to these sectors that are down the chain become the customers and clients of SME service providers such as this firm. Q What tips would you pass on to others? A If you’re a sole practitioner, try to network with fellow practitioners and avoid being isolated. The Saturday CPD conference programme has proved invaluable for meeting and engaging with other practitioners, sharing experiences and, in many cases, helping each other to prepare for and survive the dreaded practice review. I’ve attended almost all of the Saturday conferences since they commenced in 1992, and after 20 years, I can say that I have made many friends who are only too willing to give advice when I need it. Q What do you see as your key challenge for the year ahead? A Maintaining fee income in an environment of downward pressure on fees and increased expectation of service. In particular, there is a growing expectation from government bodies that small firms will change and adapt their work practices without adequate notice or consultation. We have recently seen mandatory e-filing imposed on all businesses and soon we will have iXBRL accounts formats to prepare and upload. Clients do not see huge value associated with this work, notwithstanding the additional costs we incur in training for, and implementing these changes. Q Tell us about Meehan & Associates? A It’s a three-partner firm that operates like three sole practitioners. Clients deal, in the main, with the same partner which is great for continuity of service and ongoing familiarity with clients’ affairs. The firm is equivalent to a GP’s medical practice. We’re a good one-stop shop for most small business requirements including IT, company secretarial and employment law, in addition to the normal core services provided by an accountancy firm. We do know our limitations and, where necessary, we refer clients to specialists in areas of tax planning schemes and insolvency. Thankfully, it is seldom that the firm is found lacking and such referrals do not arise very often. 22 Seven quick practice management wins 25 The view from Seamus Scullion and The long game
Dublin
*FAST FACTS
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Commute time 15 minutes Business hero John Teeling Favourite restaurant I’m not a ‘foodie’ but I do enjoy Irish stew with a pint in The Old Stand in Wicklow Street, Dublin.
WE WANT YOUR VIEW If you’d like to feature on this page get in touch at donal.nugent@accaglobal.com
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Practice
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Seven quick practice management wins
Gordon Gilchrist offers seven quick practice management wins that could prove valuable in 2013
As your practice gets into gear for 2013, consider how your management strategy performs against this practical checklist. amenable to a fee increase if it is done before the accounts are finalised and if there is some element of client responsibility. (ii) On-account billing has become very popular. Particularly in these difficult times, asking clients to pay on account for work done since the last invoice has proven to be incredibly successful.
1 Do your team record all their time? Telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth on time sheets is absolutely essential if you want to charge realistic fees to clients. 2 Are your charge-out rates realistic?
This can be a minefield as these vary considerably throughout the world, not to mention Ireland, with higher levels being recorded typically in and around metropolitan areas. With some notable exceptions, the most profitable firms outside metropolitan areas typically have charge-out rates that are 25% higher than other firms in their area. The formula that firms are adopting is that the hourly charge-out rate is salary x 0.0028.
4 Be prepared to negotiate fees
(i)
This is imperative in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s climate, with key areas as follows: Making clients understand what is involved in preparing accounts and/or their tax return. This often takes the form of a checklist; If the client relationship is uneconomic then it is the accountantsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; responsibility to terminate this; Asking clients to take on some of the work; Offering two-, three- or four-year deals; Agreeing that some payment should be made in advance. Only do this for compliance work; and, Agree fees before you commence non-compliance work.
(ii)
(iii) (iv) (v)
3 Maximise recovery
Having recorded the work properly as work-in-progress, we need to ensure that we recover as much as possible when we invoice clients. In our experience, the most successful firms adopt two ideas to maximise recovery levels: (i) When the job is starting, the budget is entered into the time and fees software. An email is sent to the fee earner reminding them when they have reached 30% and 50% of their budget. This allows them to consider whether or not they are on budget; if not, it will enable them to determine whether to re-negotiate the fee. Contrary to popular opinion, clients are
(vi)
Several firms have adopted these concepts by offering three-star service to start with (strict compliance service) and then moving on to offering four-star and five-star service levels.
5 Work in progress Successful firms are focusing on a target of no more than 30 days in work-in-progress. One of the ways this can be achieved is to request fee earners to turn accounts and tax
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Practice
7 Cross selling You must differentiate between compliance and non-compliance (or added-value) services. The Big Four added-value items that clients are looking for and are included as part of the fixed fee are: (i) Tax planning; (ii) Asset protection (cash, retirement funds and people); (iii) Profit improvement; and, (iv) Wealth management and exit planning.
We continue to find that firms achieving growth are doing so with simple ideas such as: (i) Unlimited telephone support; (ii) Invitations to seminars and webinars; (iii) Newsletters; (iv) Access to websites for checklists; and, (v) Meetings, such as pre-year and tax planning meetings, wealth
returns around in four weeks and one week respectively (and this is achievable.) On account billing, especially clearing out all the work in progress, is a very popular technique, as is the introduction of monthly billing. Both are very effective methodologies of ensuring we minimise work-in-progress to no more than 30 days. Example letters are available to introduce on account and monthly billing to your clients.
management meetings and close-out meetings. The really simple cross-selling idea that works well is to send an agenda a week before meeting with clients to discuss the accounts and should include the following three crucial questions: (i) Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important to you right now?; (ii) Are we providing all the services you need?; and, (iii) Do you know anybody that we should be helping? 2020 Innovations specialises in helping accounting firms in Ireland and the UK achieve more with less and have compiled a number of letters and checklists available through our membership programme. Gordon Gilchrist is marketing director, 2020 Innovations. Email: gordon.gilchrist@the2020group.com
6 Job management The efficiency of producing jobs is directly correlated to the profitability of the practice. We are seeing firms ensure that the fee earner who is responsible for the job contacts the client before work commences to agree fees, timescales and payment schedules. After the job is complete, these firms adopt â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;the 15-minute reviewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. All jobs are reviewed with the relevant individual being present and this can save hours.
F Full o s a e d i t brigh
to untants re acco e prepa them w g A in C id C v At A ess, pro aspects r busin n in all be fit fo undatio uals fo d iv li d o s . In id with a finance d d n n a a s es lves of busin themse gate ink for ti th s n in a d c wh o lead an c an pared to ry. You are pre e ce s s a n n e h as a w e rs g e n tt a ch is CCA le siness r the A yo ur b u conside nsuring E . e te . guaran t han ds ery bes in the v
Corporate
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The view from:
Antrim: Seamus Scullion FCCA, CFO, Texthelp Ltd
Q What business advice would you pass on to others? A Surround yourself with good people who will challenge and stimulate you and with whom you can form a positive working relationship. Create a strong team with everyone pulling in the same direction towards a common set of clearly communicated and understood goals. In negotiations, always try to understand the motivations and drivers of the other party. The best deals in the long run are those that work for all parties. Have fun – you spend too long working not to enjoy it! Q What is your biggest work challenge right now? A My work challenges these days tend to be very strategy-focused. The primary challenge is very easy to define, the solution less so. Simply put, it is to continue to deliver profitable revenue growth in the face of fairly strong macro-economic headwinds. Many of our customers’ budgets continue to be somewhat restricted, so delivery of high quality, good value for money products has become all important. Effectively, we have to find new ways to provide the customer with what they need at an acceptable price. Q How do you plan to overcome this? A In some existing markets, business models and product offerings are being redefined to better suit customer requirements and budgets. Additionally, as we continue to introduce existing and new products to new international markets, significant research and planning is required to ensure compliance with local legal, tax and regulatory requirements. It can be difficult to 26 The long game 21 The view from Brendan Meehan and Seven quick practice management wins find a one-stop shop to provide the requisite advice, so it is usually a case of doing lots of desk research along with availing of specialist professional advice, as deemed necessary. Q Tell us about Texthelp Ltd? A Texthelp Ltd is a software company, based in Antrim, producing assistive technology products designed to help anyone with difficulties reading and writing English. The company was formed in 1996 and currently employs 75 staff in Antrim and a further 30 in the US through a wholly-owned subsidiary company based in Boston. Historically, the business has been heavily focused on education markets in English-speaking countries but has recently branched into overseas non-native English speaking markets providing assistance to English language learners.
Antrim
*FAST FACTS
* * *
Commute time 25 minutes Currently reading The Drop by Michael Connelly Favourite restaurant Gillies at Galgorm Resort & Spa, Ballymena
WE WANT YOUR VIEW If you’d like to feature on this page get in touch at donal.nugent@accaglobal.com
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Corporate
The long game
Quarterly reports promote short-termism, are vulnerable to manipulation and can even lead to corporate value destruction – or so the latest thinking goes
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t is normally assumed that when it comes to information, investors can never get enough. Transparency is thought a cardinal virtue in financial markets. Yet the idea that companies should have to release financial results every three months is coming under attack across the globe. Last year a British government report into equity markets attacked the practice for promoting shortterm thinking among investors and executives. Lead author and Oxford University economist John Kay says that when it comes to data ‘less may mean more, and more may mean less’. He is supported by a growing volume of research. Some scholars even argue that quarterly reports are more damaging than high-profile corporate frauds, such as Enron. Such concerns are filtering through to politicians. The European Union, for example, is thinking of scrapping the quarterly requirement, and in the US an increasing number of academics believe that quarterly reports do more harm than good.
senior manager at BDO in Germany, and a member of ACCA’s Global Forum for Corporate Reporting, says that infrequent reporting can also give an unfair advantage to those closest to the company. ‘Quarterly reports give the public a better understanding of how the company is performing throughout the year and that might help prevent insider dealing,’ she says, speaking in her personal capacity.
The deluge of information is not just useless but actively damaging, according to Kay. ‘Even investors who know that a piece of information is irrelevant may feel compelled to act on it, especially if they think others will do so,’ he says. ‘As a result there is usually a flurry of activity around the time of quarterly releases.’ And while stock turnover generates commissions for the banks it depletes
‘CFOs APPEAR TO BE WILLING TO BURN REAL CASHFLOW FOR THE SAKE OF REPORTING DESIRED ACCOUNTING NUMBERS’
Given such compelling arguments, it might seem odd that quarterly reports are falling out of intellectual favour. So why are they? The most basic charge levelled against quarterly reports is that they add far less value than is commonly assumed. Mark Hanson of investment research company Morningstar, says: ‘Companies can employ a variety of accounting tricks to give the impression of smooth earnings, which can sometimes conceal underlying turbulence.’ The tricks include tweaking allowances for losses or postponing maintenance on buildings or equipment. Quarterly reports can also fail to reflect the long time horizons of many businesses. Kay points out: ‘For many companies, investments take years to come to fruition, which makes these short-term updates often irrelevant.’ One example is the oil industry, where it can often take over five years to bring a deep sea well into production after its initial discovery. returns for pension funds and other investment institutions. ‘This is all bad news for investors,’ says Kay.
Value sacrificed
Perhaps more importantly, the requirement for quarterly reports can hinder corporate performance. This goes far beyond the strain that updates place on a business’s accounting function. Since company stocks can slide sharply if quarterly earnings disappoint the market, executives may sacrifice long-term value so they can meet expectations. A 2006 survey of 400 CFOs revealed that 80% said they would decrease discretionary spending on research and development, advertising and maintenance to hit an earnings target. More shocking still, 55% said they would delay starting a new project, even if that meant sacrificing value. ‘Chief financial officers appear to be willing to burn real cashflow for the sake of reporting desired accounting numbers,’ the report concluded. The
The US model
Compulsory quarterly reporting originated in the US in the early 1970s. Where Uncle Sam has led, many other parts of the world have followed. In 2004 the European Commission compelled companies to publish interim management statements. South East Asian nations have also moved in this direction, with only less developed emerging markets trailing. Many still believe the US accounting model is the right one. Annual reports alone make it hard to keep tabs on a company’s performance, advocates argue. Ulla-Martina Bauer FCCA, a
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No place for a quick buck: the huge capital investment required to overcome the technical challenges of constructing an offshore oil rig such as this floating Shell platform off the coast of Alaska is one of the key reasons for the time needed to achieve ROI in the sector being measured in years rather than months
demonstrated that companies will forgo long-term rewards to avoid losing face with investors in the short term. He found examples of companies offering bigger discounts to consumers to lift short-term sales, despite being aware that doing so would damage long-term profitability.
By other means
A strong case can also be made that investors would not be giving up information of any great value if quarterly releases were abandoned. In October 2011 the European Commission declared that ‘investor protection is already sufficiently guaranteed’ by businesses having to reveal any market-moving information immediately to the market. In the UK alone, for example, there were 133 profit warnings in the first half of 2012, according to Ernst & Young data. Most experts agree there are some companies and sectors in which frequent updates are essential. The fortunes of a fashion retailer, for example, can shift quickly depending on the appeal of each season’s line. But there is plenty of evidence to suggest that quarterly reporting is counterproductive. ‘If we want an investment culture that really focuses on long-term value, we need to give up the idea that all companies should be forced to update their figures every three months,’ says Kay. Christopher Alkan, journalist based in New York
main motivation was a belief that even one earnings miss could damage a company’s reputation with the market. Executive heads tend to roll after a few such disappointments. The report’s authors, Professor John Graham and Professor Campbell Harvey of Duke University and Professor Shiva Rajgopal of the University of Washington, concluded that this practice destroyed more value for shareholders than headlinegrabbing fraud cases such as the implosion of WorldCom.
‘Much media attention is focused on a small number of high-profile firms that have engaged in earnings fraud,’ their paper said. ‘We assess that the amount of value destroyed by firms striving to hit earnings targets exceeds the value lost in these high-profile fraud cases.’ The report put the lost value at around US$150bn a year in the US, equivalent to two Enrons. These striking conclusions were backed up by a June 2011 paper by Professor Jurgen Ernstberger of Ruhr University Bochum. He also
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Technical
Technically speaking
[
ACCA’s Aidan Clifford rounds up some of the changes Irish accountants should be aware of 01 POLITICAL FUNDING
be legally used in Ireland. FRS 101 will reduce the compliance cost of preparing statutory accounts for Irish subsidiary companies.
IN THIS ARTICLE:
* 01 Disclosure of political donations – threshold reduced to €200 * 02 IFRS 101 has been made legal in Ireland * 03 Bank letter for audit purposes * 04 New credit union legislation enacted * 05 Selling a practice
One of the provisions of the Electoral Amendment Political Funding Act 2012 is that it changes the amount threshold for disclosure on an annual return form completed by a company, society or trade union. From 7 November 2013, the amount paid as a political donation that must be disclosed is reduced from €5,079 to €200. This change does not come into effect until this date. From 7 November 2013, any annual return submitted to the CRO must include donations made at the lower figure.
03 BANK LETTERS
02 FRS 101 IN IRELAND
Aidan Clifford FCCA, advisory services manager, aidan.clifford@accaglobal.com
The minister for finance has made a Regulation titled: European Union (International Financial Reporting Standards) Regulations 2012, effective 13 December 2012. The Regulation allows certain companies which have opted to prepare IFRS individual or group accounts to change to preparing Companies Act individual or group accounts for a reason other than those already allowed by law. Companies availing of this provision may subsequently revert to preparing IFRS individual or group accounts. A change permitted by these Regulations may be made no more than once in every five years. The Companies Act previously only allowed two accounting options for most companies: IFRS or ‘Companies Act’ (UK GAAP) accounting. International groups all converted to IFRS and domestic companies mostly stayed with UK GAAP/Companies Act accounting. Once a company converted to IFRS they could not convert back to Companies Act/UK GAAP easily. FRS 101 is legally a UK GAAP/Companies Act accounting set of rules, notwithstanding that it is based on IFRS accounting, and the change allows an IFRS subsidiary convert to FRS 101. In practical terms, this amendment allows FRS 101 to
PN 16 makes it clear that a bank letter is pretty much essential audit evidence, and difficult as it may be, auditors have to struggle to get a completed and correct bank audit letter from an understaffed and indifferent banking sector. We are in discussion with the banks and IBF and at the time of writing the position is not wholly agreed, but the position is likely to be as follows: * Some of the banks have centralised their processing (or are in the process of doing so) and they want one account number to be given or branch name to help speed up their processing. We understand that the banks require one account number and sort code only, as well as client name and address. Once this is provided, they undertake to supply details of all accounts held by that client. The account number is for ease of identification only and will not impinge on the audit evidence. The banks are aware that there are some letters already submitted that do not contain account numbers. We hope that the banks, where possible, will endeavour to process these letters. However, where processes are centralised by the banks this may not be possible and letters will be returned to auditors seeking the additional information. * In respect of client authorisation signatures, normal practice to date has been for the bank letter to be signed by the authorised account signatories. However, AIB is now seeking that the bank letter is signed by directors and these may not be the authorised account signatories. If your client holds accounts with
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AIB please be aware of this when you are completing the bank letters. Other banks are still asking for the authorised account signatories but this position may change.
04 CREDIT UNION LEGISLATION
The Credit Union and Co-operation with Overseas Regulators Act 2012 has been signed in to law and several of its key provisions are commencing immediately. The Act deals with: * Prudential regulation – including reserves, liquidity, lending and investments; * Governance – including the role of the board, chair and the manager; * Restructuring – providing for a process of amalgamations and transfers to be undertaken on a voluntary, incentivised and timebound basis and overseen by the restructuring board or ‘ReBo’; * Stabilisation – providing financial support to viable but undercapitalised credit unions. Changes in the Act from previously published bills include: the term limits for directors have been changed from nine years in aggregate in any 15year period to 12 years in aggregate in any 15-year period; clarification on the application of wider financial services legislation to credit unions; and changes to the types of people ineligible for board membership. The restructuring of the sector has raised some accounting issues which ACCA hopes to address with ReBo. These issues include the use of merger or acquisition accounting, the application of fair value on acquisition, pre-acquisition reserves and ‘moral obligations’ with respect to the SPF and other matters.
Services. A brief summary will be published in the magazine, and all replies must be acknowledged by the seller. ACCA do not list practices wishing to purchase blocks of fees as it is our experience that sellers will not reply to such advertisements. The process is that potential buyers will send an expression of general interest to the box number. The vendor will acknowledge and reject the advance; or acknowledge and forward a short confidentiality agreement to the potential buyer. The potential buyer will sign and return the confidentiality agreement and then the vendor will supply an information memorandum. The memorandum will describe the practice in detail down to the age profile of the client and client sectors (an example is available from advisory services). The purchase can be cancelled at this stage if the profile of the practice is not suited to the buyer; alternatively, an offer is made (or more information sought and then an offer) subject to due diligence. A more legalistic and robust confidentiality agreement and offer document is then usually exchanged and a due diligence is performed on the practice. The offer is binding if no matters are identified during the due diligence that contradicts the memorandum. Payment is traditionally 33% up front, 33% after a year and a final 33% (less claw backs for clients lost) at the end
of the second year. Some deals are all cash up front and some include vendor financing (payment in instalments over say five years). The total price paid reflects the payment method. Debtors are usually not sold, WIP usually is. Goodwill averages €1 per €1 of recurring turnover, but this is lower in an older client base and can be higher in a growing client base. Non-recurring turnover attracts a lower multiple, one practice recently valued it at €0.20 per €1, but this valuation was for the purposes of conversion from a partnership to a limited company. Recurring fees have been valued as low as €0.30 per €1 in the past where the client base was particularly poor and one part time practitioner could not give away their practice when they retired due to the low level of fees charged. The availability of vendor financing and the extent of lost client claw backs will also affect the price. Some older practitioners own their office premises and have a desire to include a long lease on the premises with the sale; this may affect the price also.
PRACTICE FOR SALE
County Tipperary, fee level €230,000 (excl. VAT), hand-over period three-tofive years. Expressions of interest to box number 2013/1 c/o Aidan Clifford, ACCA, 9 Leeson Park, Dublin 6.
05 SELLING A PRACTICE
Sellers of a practice are welcome to list their practices with ACCA Advisory
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Northern Ireland tax notes
RTI
Real-time-information (RTI) deadlines are approaching, with employers and pension providers being required to provide information under RTI commencing in the period April to October 2013. The majority of employers will be submitting PAYE information in real time by April 2013. Please do not underestimate the difficulties and time required. Even those who have received face-to-face support in the pilot have reported difficulties. With so little time for business to prepare, make sure that you get the basics right. Also, remember that the guidance and information issued by HMRC is not static. As businesses highlight their concerns, guidance is revised. You can find a business checklist and links at www.accaglobal.com/uk/members/ technical that capital allowances can be claimed because the polytunnel is not a fixed structure. HMRC comments that where a crop is grown in the ground then, ‘as a matter of fact, the same ground cannot be continually reused’. It continues: ‘After the relevant period of time the crops must be planted elsewhere and the polytunnels will, therefore, be moved to the new location. HMRC will accept that, in such circumstances, the better view is that the polytunnels are not fixed structures, but are rather apparatus or plant, used in the qualifying activity,’ going on to state that if ‘the crops are grown in raised beds (grow bags on trestle tables, for example) then there is no need or expectation that the crops will ever need to be grown elsewhere. In such situations it is far more likely that the polytunnels should properly be regarded as fixed structures and, as such, they will be unable to qualify for plant and machinery allowances.’ HMRC will settle claims in accordance with the revised guidance. You can find further details at www.accaglobal.com/uk/members/ technical as to when a transfer of a business as a going concern applies and to explain the appropriate VAT treatment. It stresses that it is important that each transfer is considered on the basis of its facts and circumstances as a ‘one-sizefits-all’ approach is not appropriate. Links can be found at www.accaglobal.com/uk/ members/technical
Campaigns
The VAT Campaign and Direct Selling Campaign are open until 28 February www. accaglobal.com/uk/members/technical
Pension schemes
HMRC has issued Notice 700/17: Funded pension schemes, which provides guidance for employers and trustees on claiming input tax on funded pension scheme expenditure. It is effective now and replaces the November 2011 edition. Paragraph 2.9 has been updated to include guidance on the recovery of VAT on management costs by professional trustees appointed to run a pension scheme. The paragraph states: ‘If you cease trading, and therefore cease to be an employer, you no longer have any entitlement to input tax on management of the pension scheme. Where, however, the trustees are themselves VAT registered on account of business activities carried out by the pension scheme they may treat the tax incurred on services connected with the continuing management of the scheme as their input tax, subject to the normal rules. This means that where the trustees are required to restrict recovery of input tax because they make exempt supplies not all the tax on the management services may be recovered – see paragraph 1.5. Where a professional trustee is appointed to run a pension scheme, eg where the sponsoring employer ceases to exist, VAT incurred on the management of the pension fund can only be recovered by the trustee insofar as it is a clear cost component of an onward supply of that management of the pension fund.’ Glenn Collins, head of technical advisory, ACCA UK
Fixed structures
HMRC has issued Revenue & Customs Brief 32/12: Plant and Machinery Allowances: polytunnels. It contains details of changes to HMRC policy regarding the treatment of polytunnels. HMRC viewed polytunnels as fixed structures and/or premises or settings rather than qualifying plant and machinery. It now accepts that, depending on use, ‘polytunnels that are neither “fixed structures” nor premises/setting should qualify for plant and machinery capital allowances under Part 2 of CAA.’ HMRC has stated that it is ‘unable to accept the proposal by representative bodies that all polytunnels should be regarded as plant, because the uses to which polytunnels may be put by businesses are extremely varied, and farming techniques involving polytunnels may, of course, continue to evolve over time.’ The treatment will be decided on a case-by-case basis dependent on the use of the polytunnel. HMRC has revised the text of manual CA 22090, giving examples of when they consider
Business transfers
Notice 700/9: Transfer of a business as a going concern is effective now and replaces the April 2008 edition of the notice. This notice explains whether the transfer of a business should be treated as a ‘Transfer of a business as a going concern’ (TOGC) for VAT purposes, or not. It also explains the VAT treatment in each circumstance. The notice has been updated in section 11 with an example of VAT Form 68. It has also been edited and examples only remain where they help illustrate a point or area of confusion. HMRC recognises that this editing could result in uncertainty and highlights that further examples of the application of the TOGC conditions are contained in HMRC internal guidance accessible through its website (www.hmrc.gov.uk). The guidance seeks to provide advice
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FEBRUARY 2013
General 14 PAYE P30 monthly return and payment for January 2013. (ROS extension to 23 February 2013) 14 PSWT F30 monthly return and payment for January 2013. (ROS extension to 23 February 2013) 15 PAYE Form P35 for 2012. (ROS extension to 23 February 2013). P60s for 2012 must also be issued to employees by 15 February 15 PSWT Form F35 for 2012. (ROS extension to 23 February 2013) Companies 14 Dividend Withholding Tax Return and payment of DWT for distributions in January 2013 21 Corporation Tax Return and final payment for accounting periods ended 31 May 2012. (ROS extension to 23 February) 21 Corporation Tax Preliminary tax for accounting periods ending 31 March 2013. (ROS extension to 23 February) 21 Corporation Tax First instalment of preliminary tax for ‘large’ companies for accounting periods ending 31 August 2013. (ROS extension to 23 February) 28 Form 46G – Return of Third Party Information Form 46G for accounting periods ended 31 May 2012
MARCH 2013
General 14 PAYE P30 monthly return and payment for February 2013. (ROS extension to 23 March 2013) 14 PSWT F30 monthly return and payment for February 2013. (ROS extension to 23 March 2013) 19 VAT Bi-monthly VAT3 return and payment for the period January/February 2013 (ROS extension to 23 March 2013) 31 Share options Return of information in relation to share options or rights granted in the year ended 31 December 2012
31 Non Principal Private Residence Charge Persons owning Irish residential properties (but not principal private residences) on 31 March 2013 will be liable, where applicable, to pay the €200 non principal private residence charge for 2013 Companies 14 Dividend Withholding Tax Return and payment of DWT for distributions in February 2013 21 Corporation Tax Return and final payment for accounting periods ended 30 June 2012. (ROS extension to 23 March) 21 Corporation Tax Preliminary tax for accounting periods ending 30 April 2013. (ROS extension to 23 March)
21 Corporation Tax First instalment of preliminary tax for ‘large’ companies for accounting periods ending 30 September 2013. (ROS extension to 23 March) 31 Form 46G – Return of Third Party Information Form 46G for accounting periods ended 30 June 2012 Individuals 31 Basis of Assessment Deadline for claiming Separate Assessment and nominating Assessable Spouse (or civil partner) for 2013
Information supplied by the Irish Tax Institute Disclaimer: This is a calendar of the main tax compliance deadlines but is not intended to be an exhaustive list. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, the Irish Tax Institute does not accept any responsibility for loss or damage occasioned by any person acting, or refraining from acting, as a result of this material.
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Tax 2013 – an update
01 Local Property Tax Bill and microenterprises 02 Ireland signs inter-governmental agreement with the US on FATCA 03 Court judgment published 04 Further reductions signalled in UK corporation tax rate 05 EC proposals on tax evasion and avoidance * Revenue will be able to collect information on residential properties from letting agents, management agents, tenants and occupants. * Interest on unpaid LPT will be applied at a rate of 8% per annum. Consultation on taxation of microenterprises As announced in December’s Budget, the Department of Finance is currently conducting a consultation on reducing tax compliance costs for microenterprises. The consultation document states that initial exploratory work around the feasibility of introducing a ‘single business tax’ (SBT) raised some issues around the extent to which introduction of a SBT would actually achieve the objective of cutting compliance costs. Instead, the paper states that a better approach might be to explore the possibility of a simplified accounting and profit calculation regime for micro businesses. The consultation process specifically targets microenterprises with a turnover of less than €75,000 per annum. The consultation period runs until 28 February 2013.
01 Local Property Tax Bill Enacted
The Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill 2012, published shortly after December’s Budget, was signed by the president on 26 December, and became the Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012. Some important aspects of how the Local Property Tax (LPT) will operate are highlighted below: * In certain circumstances, for example, where LPT is not paid by the due date, Revenue has the power to direct that LPT be withheld from salary, certain social welfare benefits and farm payments. Revenue will notify taxpayers before they do this. * Where the LPT is deducted from salary, Revenue will communicate with employers on any deduction to be made. Employers will have to provide an end-of-year statement on LPT deducted. * If you are self-employed and fail to pay your LPT, Revenue will not issue you with a tax clearance certificate. * There will be a link between the LPT and income/corporation tax returns. Late property tax returns will give rise to surcharges on income/ corporation tax. The surcharge will be capped at the amount of property tax due where the property tax return is subsequently submitted. * Appeals in relation to assessments and deferrals will be heard by the Appeal Commissioners.
information exchange is scheduled to take place between Revenue and the IRS in September 2015. At the time of writing, the enabling legislation is expected to be published with Finance Bill 2013.
03 Judgment Published
The High Court judgment in the McNamee v The Revenue Commissioners Section 811 Judicial Review case was published in December. The High Court ruled in favour of Revenue in the case, which related to the disallowance of capital gains tax losses claimed by the taxpayer. The judgment highlights a number of points raised by the taxpayer in the case, including his contention that Revenue had not complied with its obligation under section 811(6) to issue their notice of opinion immediately, and his argument that he had not been in a position to make submissions to Revenue prior to Revenue forming their section 811 opinion.
02 Agreement on FATCA
On 5 December, an inter-governmental agreement (IGA) on the implementation of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) was signed on behalf of the Irish and US governments. As readers may be aware, FATCA is a piece of US tax legislation enacted in March 2010. The intention of the law is to enable the US government to identify US taxpayers who hold assets offshore and to ensure that the appropriate tax in respect of such assets can be collected by the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Under the IGA, Irish financial institutions will report the information required under FATCA to Revenue, rather than reporting directly to the IRS. Reciprocal country-to -country reporting will then take place between Revenue and the IRS. The first
04 UK Finance Bill
The UK’s Autumn Statement was delivered in early December, and the draft Finance Bill 2013 was published shortly thereafter. The key tax measures announced in the Autumn Statement were as follows:
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The main rate of corporation tax will be cut by an additional 1 percentage point in April 2014. This means the rate will be reduced from 24% to 23% in April 2013 and then to 21% in April 2014. From April 2013, a simpler income tax scheme for small unincorporated businesses will be introduced. This will allow such businesses to calculate their profits on a cash basis. Businesses with receipts of up to £77,000 will be eligible to use the cash basis until their receipts reach £154,000. Unincorporated businesses will also be able to use flat rates to calculate certain business expenses. The Annual Investment Allowance, for qualifying investment in plant and machinery, is being increased from £25,000 to £250,000 per annum for a two-year period commencing from 1 January 2013. This is designed to incentivise business investment in plant and machinery, particularly among SMEs. A consultation will take place on proposals to introduce new information disclosure and penalty powers directed at marketers of ‘abusive tax avoidance’ schemes. The existing Disclosure of Tax Avoidance Schemes (DOTAS) regime will also be strengthened. With the subsequent publication of the draft Finance Bill 2013 came the
release of HMRC’s guidance on the new General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR). The new GAAR will apply to all tax arrangements entered into on or after the day on which Finance Act 2013 is passed. The guidance contains examples of how the GAAR will apply to tax arrangements. HMRC have also published draft guidance to assist individuals in the application of the new statutory residence test, which will come into force from the start of the 2013-14 tax year.
3. An action plan to strengthen the fight against tax fraud and evasion (which incorporates the above recommendations). Under the recommendation on aggressive tax planning, Member States are encouraged to include a clause in double taxation conventions to resolve double non-taxation and are also recommended to adopt general anti-avoidance rules. The second recommendation sets out a number of ways in which Member States should encourage third countries to apply minimum standards of good governance on tax. These include the use by Member States of blacklists, and possible renegotiation of Double Taxation Conventions with the third countries, where these exist. The action plan sets out a number of new initiatives and actions by the Commission such as revision of the Parent-Subsidiary Directive to address double non-taxation and a review of the anti-abuse provisions in the Interest and Royalties Directive, the Mergers Directive and the ParentSubsidiary Directive. A methodology for joint audits will be developed and work will intensify on special tax regimes for expatriates and for wealthy individuals which are harmful to the internal market. Cora O’Brien is director of technical services, Irish Tax Institute. Email cobrien@taxinstitute.ie
05 Commission proposals on tax
In early December, the European Commission published three separate documents on tax evasion and aggressive tax planning, two Commission Recommendations and an action plan: 1. A Recommendation on aggressive tax planning. 2. A Recommendation on encouraging third countries (i.e., non-EU countries) to apply minimum standards of good governance in tax matters.
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An investment for life?
Sinead Cullen on why companies should consider investing via life investment policies
According to Central Bank figures, non-financial corporations had over €30bn on deposit in 2012. As deposit rates continue to fall, more of these companies are looking for the potential to make a better return and to optimise their tax position. Life investment policies can offer the potential both to make a better return and to optimise a company’s tax position. Companies have access to a range of funds and deposits that offer the potential for a higher return within one contract.
Compound
All income and gains in the policy are accumulated gross, with a deemed exit tax charge applied on any gain accumulated only on each eighth anniversary or from any gain realised on withdrawal, death or assignment. This allows the company to compound their investment returns without those returns being reduced by taxes during this period. Since January 2012, exit tax is 25% where the policy owner is a company. This is the final tax liability for the company. (Companies should consult with their own professional tax advisers to confirm this view applies to them.)
TAX BENEFITS OF INVESTING * THROUGH A LIFE POLICY
INVESTMENT THROUGH A LIFE POLICY:
* 25% exit tax
DIRECT INVESTMENT:
* 25% corporation tax each year on income
Surcharge tax
Most Irish resident companies are ‘close’ companies; a company that is controlled by five or fewer participators or is controlled by any number of participators who are directors. Close
PLUS
* Potential 20% close company surcharge
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Panel 1
* Assumptions: Comparison is based on an initial investment of €250,000. * Life policy: Investment in a synergy investment bond. Assumed return of 5.5% and 1% annual management charge. 25% exit tax paid on withdrawal. * Deposit: 3.35% is an indicative six-year fixed rate provided by a deposit provider on 7 January 2013. Assumes interest rates, corporation tax and close company surcharge are applied annually and tax rules remain unchanged. These figures are estimates only. They are not a reliable guide to the future performance of this investment.
companies face a potential 20% surcharge if investment and estate income is not distributed within 18 months after the end of the accounting period. Close ‘service’ companies are also liable for a surcharge of 15% on one-half of their undistributed trading income. The effective tax rate for close companies facing both corporation tax and close company surcharge tax on their undistributed deposit interest equates to 40%. For these companies, investing via a life policy offers an added advantage: withdrawal of monies from the bond, including the gain, is exempt from the close company surcharge on investment and estate income. The return on the bond would not be treated as income in the company accounts.
A close company investing €250,000 in a life policy over a six-year period could achieve over €25,000 more (after taxes) than if they invested in a 3.35% fixed deposit over the same period (see panel 1). Investing in a life policy is straightforward, offers tax benefits and the potential for better returns. As deposit rates continue to fall we are seeing more companies investing via this route. We recommend that your client seeks professional tax and legal advice as the information given is a guideline only and does not take into account your client’s particular circumstances. Sinead Cullen, product development, Standard Life Assurance Ltd. Email sinead_cullen@standardlife.ie
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What’s in store for SMEs?
Mark Fielding highlights some reasons for cautious optimism in the year ahead
The start of 2013 has brought a number of good news stories: three new funds for SMEs from the National Pensions Reserve Fund; Enterprise Ireland and IDA announcing increases in net jobs created; and the ISME Quarterly Survey for Q4 2012 showing signs of improvement, with all 12 indicators moving in a positive direction. So, as usual, owner/ managers of small and medium businesses are optimistic of future prospects and just require the business environment to support their endeavours. However, while there are more positives than negatives, we must remember that the Irish economy is still going through a very significant and painful adjustment since the shock of 2008 and, unfortunately, there are still some compelling arguments to suggest that the worst of the pain has yet to come. The fiscal adjustment process still has a long and painful distance to go; the labour market remains in a very weak situation; and credit conditions, both at the personal and small and medium business level, are still extremely difficult. it is essential that policy makers make the environment for entrepreneurial endeavour and job creation as strong as possible. The costs of doing business must be reduced. banks and bankers, the main rescued banks are not stepping up to the plate. The government must now demand that the bailed-out banks meet their own commitment to SME lending. The delay by cynical bankers has coined a new phrase, ‘constructive refusal’ as they treat the customer with disdain and hoodwink the government with continuing distorted statistics. The PR spin of ‘open for business’ and ‘eight out of 10 loans sanctioned’ would be funny but for the seriousness of the situation. There is no doubt that banks are not lending to the level appropriate to an economy ‘on the mend’. The statistics from our own Central Bank, the ECB and numerous economists demonstrate the dearth of appropriate credit. Despite assertions to the contrary, ISME would contend that access to credit is abysmal, the application process is getting more torturous and businesses are not being told their rights under the code. We believe banks are simply ‘going through the motions’ while bankers themselves are slow to reform, re-educate or restructure.
Costs
The environment has been particularly difficult for the SME sector since 2008. The costs of doing business for this sector increased sharply during the so-called boom and created a very uncompetitive situation. This left the sector in a very uncompetitive and vulnerable situation going into the recession. There have been massive redundancies and company failures, however, there are some tentative signs that the pressures are easing. Economic uncertainty continues to be the issue of most importance for SME owners, demonstrating to government that, while the global situation is difficult, the domestic economy must be assisted through a real jobs plan and a concerted effort to bring the state sector into line on costs. The private sector can no longer pay for the costly state sector and the elephant in the room, the Croke Park agreement, must be renegotiated to bring greater and faster cost reductions. ISME believes the public sector can no longer profit from increments and allowances, paid for by international borrowing, to be repaid from our private sector taxes.
Competitiveness
Conditions will remain very challenging for the SME sector in 2013, largely due to the fact that the long-awaited improvement in demand has yet to materialise and remains very weak both at home and in the most important overseas markets. While our cost competitiveness has improved, Ireland still remains an expensive country in which to do business. The SME segment of the Irish economy is a very important component of the overall economy, and is a major employer and extremely diverse in its sectors and activities. In an environment where jobs are being lost and where job creation is not pervasive,
Pay cycle
Late payment for goods and services supplied is another issue crucifying small and medium businesses. The latest figure of 71 days clearly shows the effect that late payments are having on SMEs, caught in a vicious cycle of non-payment from both large businesses and government agencies. While the main government departments have improved their payment days, the main offenders are the state agencies and big business, where delays continue to put massive pressure on SMEs. SMEs have to pay their VAT to government long before they themselves are paid and the government refuses to tackle this issue, as businesses go to the wall and jobs
Credit
On the banking issues, at the end of 2012, there was a 53% refusal rate for SMEs, while clearly the demand for bank credit was steady at 39%. One of the worrying aspects is the cynical delaying tactics of the banks on SME lending decisions, averaging eight full weeks instead of 15 days as set out in the code of conduct for SME lending. It is disappointing, in the extreme, that, after all of the bailing out of
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are lost because of totally inadequate legislation. Over three quarters of SMEs (78%) favour a mandatory 30 day payment, with no exceptions. If the government is unwilling to amend the legislation, then the least it should do is to champion a ‘fair pay charter’. This could incorporate corporate social responsibility disclosure in public companies’ financial statements to disclose standard information from the charter (possibly the commitment to pay suppliers within x days) and a metric (e.g. % of purchases paid within a set of ranges).
Priorities
ISME believes the priorities for government to stimulate the economy and boost business confidence should be as follows:
* Support SME job creation through incentives, in a revitalised action plan for jobs. * Reduce government influenced business costs to below an EUaverage. * Tackle the banking crisis to ensure real and measurable access to credit for viable SMEs. * Expand the export capacity of the SME sector through soft supports. * Renegotiate the Croke Park Agreement and introduce real costsaving measures in 2013 to include scrapping increments and reducing allowances. * Outsource state sector services to SMEs. * Reform the social welfare system to make it more profitable to work. * Prioritise the review of the 10-yearold prompt payments legislation,
which should be amended to assist rather than crucify the SME sector. * Ensure that the repayment of international debt be renegotiated to allow for a reasoned and attainable solution. While the results of the ISME Quarterly Q4 Trends Survey are in the main positive and to be welcomed, the domestic economy is still in a fragile state. The recent Budget is a step in the right direction however, cutting government influenced costs, access to bank credit and late payments must be prioritised in the coming months. Mark Fielding is chief executive, ISME. Email mark@isme.ie
ADVERTORIAL
ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF FINANCE
Many accountants in Ireland remain largely unaware of the positive impact of invoice and asset finance on a business in need of stable cashflow. Those are the findings of a survey carried out by Close Brothers Commercial Finance. With more traditional forms of finance like overdrafts and term loans remaining harder to acquire and maintain, it is increasingly clear that SMEs, in particular, are ill-informed about alternative access to funding. Harry Parkinson, managing director of Close Brothers Commercial Finance in Ireland, said: ‘Our recent Business Barometer survey showed that 64.7% of companies haven’t heard of invoice finance and 60.8% haven’t been told about asset finance. That’s roughly two-thirds of companies across the country that aren’t aware of access to a type of funding which very much puts cashflow back under their control. Indeed, in many cases these businesses are sitting on assets that can readily be turned into cash through refinancing. That’s a smart thing to do in an economic climate where traditional forms of lending are harder to acquire.’ The latest Close Brothers Business Barometer also revealed that slow payments are causing serious cash flow problems for 59% of SMEs. Of these, a staggering 73% say that payments are regularly more than 30 days late. Parkinson pointed out that many companies aren’t taking advantage of putting together a more balanced portfolio of funding to
address their cash flow issues. ‘The accountants we work with, both in professional practices and in industry, know that term loans and overdrafts won’t always meet the needs of a business that is trying to grow or deal with cashflow problems caused by issues like late payments,’ he added. ‘These companies are then putting in place complementary funding like invoice and asset finance in order to finance growth and improve working capital. Just because economic times remain challenging doesn’t mean companies are running shy of growth and we are seeing more businesses come to us to seek smart funding solutions for their ambitions.’ He said there was a role for accountants in explaining the benefits of invoice and asset finance. ‘Our survey shows that over 31 per cent of Irish businesses are worried about asset finance in case it puts current assets at risk, when that is not the case. More worryingly 35.3 per cent just don’t know enough about this type of funding in order to make a decision.’ He said that funding growth, realising export potential, stabilising current trading or indeed financing merger and acquisition were all possible through invoice and asset finance and he urged accountants to explore the opportunities together with their clients. To find out more phone 01-8711060, or email enquiries@closecommercialfinance.ie
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SME checklist
Graham Byrne on how to give your SME clients the best start in 2013
According to the International Business Report 2013 from Grant Thornton, businesses are continuing to strive for growth with 36% more optimistic than this time last year. Additionally the recent budget announcement offered some good news for the SME sector with the focus around growth and job creation. Many small businesses can help maximise growth opportunities by ensuring they have the correct structures and support mechanisms in place. Financial advisers can help their SME clients take stock and review every aspect of their business to ensure that, when new opportunities come along, the business is in the prime position to take full advantage of them in the year ahead. first time. Your client needs to prioritise everything they want to achieve in the coming year and together with them you should work out the financial requirements involved in doing so.
Take control
Get a detailed view of the SME debtor days in the last year – is late payment an issue for the entire ledger or are there a number of repeat offenders who are causing problems? Every customer is vital to an SME, but some late payers could be causing more problems than they are worth. Work with your client to develop watertight credit control systems.
Consider new opportunities
Take the time to research new business opportunities. A brainstorming session with your client may inspire ideas that could help move the business forward. Educate your SME clients on the various finance options available to them and look beyond the traditional options. Invoice finance, for example, guarantees businesses have a flexible and on-going supply of working capital and is suitable to fund export opportunities.
Harness people power
Discuss staffing levels for the coming year and ensure staff holidays or peak season demand is accounted for – will extra staff be needed for these periods? How much overtime from current staff will be required? At what cost? Or perhaps a skills gaps within your SME clients workforce is holding them back?
Conduct a review of 2012
Review what worked well over the past year for the SME and what did not. Did extending credit terms to their customers or taking advantage of economies of scale reap benefits? What were the financial implications and were they worthwhile?
Utilise government assistance
Budget 2013 provided some assistance for SMEs in their 10-point tax plan – assist your client SMEs in seeking out new benefits they are eligible for such as fuel tax relief, R&D tax credits and reformed corporation tax relief for start-ups.
Manage the cash
No matter how well inspired, prepared and organised, good cashflow is the lifeblood of any business. Make sure your business client takes a proactive approach to managing cashflow. There are support mechanisms out there ready and willing to help, and their doors are wide open for business. Graham Byrne is managing director, Bibby Financial Services Ireland. Email GByrne@bibbyfinancialservices.com
Encourage strategy
Many SMEs fail to see the importance of strategising and planning for the year ahead, including contingency planning, crucial in the current environment. The business will need to start by reviewing its objectives, or in many cases, construct them for the
Get organised
Help your SME get organised by supplying tracking templates and advising information they need to have ready access to. What comes naturally to you, doesn’t necessarily to your SME owner.
WHAT THE CLOUD IS ALL ABOUT
SMEs are getting a unique chance to grow and expand their business with cloud computing, an emerging computing technology using the internet and central remote servers to maintain data and applications. Software as a service (SaaS) is giving business the flexibility to pick and choose applications – from basic email to online accounting – without requiring an extensive IT department. What’s more, with the services being hosted offsite, there is no need for additional hardware investment, and maintenance fees are low to non-existent. There’s a good possibility that you have already used some form of cloud computing. If you have an e-mail account with a web-based e-mail service like Hotmail, Yahoo! or Gmail, or if you use revenue or banking online, then you are already in the cloud. One such cloud application is Big Red Cloud. The new Big Red Cloud application is designed to make your accounts even easier to manage and more mobile than ever. You can now log on and view your accounts from anywhere and almost any device. This simple and easy to use software will allow you to manage invoicing, purchases and vat in the click of a button and will produce a full trading, profit and loss and balance sheet. From an owner manger point of view this makes life a lot easier for everyone and will help you keep costs down in your business as you can work from anywhere at any time. With the cloud you are no longer restricted to an office and you can email and communicate with customers and suppliers instantly. For more information contact Catherine Lockhart, sales manager, Big Red Book. Email CLockhart@bigredbook.com
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Health check up
Up-to-date advice on qualifying medical expenses from Úna Ryan
With the cost of living increasing, saving money in relation to our healthcare and medical expenses has become a priority for many clients. Any qualifying medical expenses incurred in 2012 (or unclaimed medical expenses incurred in 2011, 2010 and 2009) may reap an unexpected cash windfall. arises and PAYE/PRSI and the USC must be deducted by your employer on the value of the benefit provided. or medicines prescribed by a * Drugs doctor, dentist or consultant; in a hospital or approved * Treatment nursing home; by ambulance; * Transport Routine maternity care; * Kidney patients’ expenses (up to a * maximum amount depending on
Qualifying medical expenses
For those who do not have any health insurance, a claim for tax relief at a rate of 20% can be made on any qualifying medical expenses that have been incurred. It is important to note that you must have actually incurred the cost of the medical expenses and, therefore, tax relief cannot be claimed on any expenditure that: Has been, or will be, reimbursed by another body such as the VHI, Laya Healthcare, Hibernian Aviva Health, the Health Service Executive or other body or person; Has been, or will be, the subject of a compensation payment; and, Relates to routine dental and ophthalmic care. Thereafter, it must be a qualifying medical expense which is outlined in Revenue’s Information Leaflet IT6. Some of these expenses are as follows: Doctors and consultants fees; Treatments prescribed by a doctor or consultant, e.g. physiotherapy;
Health insurance premiums
Tax relief is granted on health insurance premiums at source. Therefore, any payments made to VHI, Laya Healthcare, Aviva Health or other such health insurance bodies, are made at a reduced premium equal to 80% of the gross amount to your health insurance provider. This is the same as getting tax relief of 20%, but the tax credit is granted directly by the health insurance provider. For those whose employer pays their medical insurance, tax relief at source is not available. Instead, an employee can claim the relief due by having the credit coded onto their certificate of tax credits. In addition, where an employer pays your medical insurance premium, a benefit in kind charge
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whether the patient uses hospital dialysis, home dialysis or CAPD); Cost of educational psychological assessments for your child; Certain items of expenditure in respect of a child suffering from a serious life threatening illness; Laser vision correction surgery; and, Trained guide dog supplied by the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. If any of these treatments are carried out abroad, these will also qualify for tax relief provided that the practitioner carrying out the treatments is entitled under the laws of the country in which the care is provided to practice medicine there. The cost of travelling abroad is not an allowable expense. However, there are limited exceptions (e.g. where the health care is only available outside of the state). In this case, the cost of
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reasonable travelling and accommodation expenses are allowable. Relief is not available in respect of cosmetic surgeries such as Botox injections.
Dental expenses
Tax relief is available only in respect of non-routine dental treatment. Therefore, routine dental treatment such as extraction, scaling and filling of teeth and the provision and repairing of artificial teeth or dentures is not allowable. You must claim non-routine dental expenses on Form Med 2 which is signed and certified by a dental practitioner. The below list outlines the type of dental treatments for which tax relief is allowable: Crowns; Veneers/Rembrandt-type etched fillings; Tip replacing; Endotonitics â&#x20AC;&#x201C; root canal treatment; Periodontal treatment; Orthodontic treatment; Surgical extraction of impacted wisdom teeth; and, Bridgework.
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Tax relief on non-routine dental treatments obtained outside the state may also be available provided the dentist is a qualified practitioner (i.e., entitled under the laws of the country in which the care is provided to practice dentistry there).
Other expenses
While many of us are aware that the cost of drugs and medicines prescribed by a doctor or consultant will qualify for relief, there is also relief available for the cost of gluten-free foods manufactured specifically for coeliacs. A letter from a doctor must be obtained stating that the individual in respect of whom the claim is made is coeliac and the products purchased are acceptable coeliac products. In addition, if you are purchasing diabetic products as part of your diet and have a letter from a doctor stating that you are diabetic, then the cost of these specialised foods is a tax deductible expense. Payments made to a nursing home, whether these relate to yourself or another person may also qualify for tax relief once they have been paid by you. It is important to note that tax relief on these specific expenses is available at your marginal rate of income tax.
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Revenue will process your application and assess your entitlement to tax relief. Alternatively, if you wish to use a paper application form, a Form Med 1 (qualifying medical expenses) or Form Med 2 (qualifying dental expenses) can be completed and sent to Revenue via post. If you are a self-employed individual or submit income tax returns to Revenue, a Form 11 can be used. It
is not necessary to submit the medical receipts with the Form Med 1/ Med 2 or Form 11. However, if Revenue query any of the claims or require further clarification you will be contacted and asked to submit receipts. As a matter of good practice you should retain all receipts for a period of six years as your claim may be selected for detailed examination in the future.
This article is only a general discussion and does not deal with all the issues and tax savings available. When implementing any of these savings, it is important to do so carefully. Úna Ryan, Tax, Grant Thornton Financial & Taxation Consultants Ltd. Email una.ryan@ie.gt.com
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EU enforcers make common cause
For the ﬁrst time regulators in the EU have agreed the areas that they will focus on when they come to review 2012 ﬁnancial statements. Graham Holt explains
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) was formed to ensure the effective and consistent application in financial statements of European securities and markets legislation and more specifically that of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). ESMA has highlighted the areas of focus for European national regulators when they come to review December 2012 financial statements. It is the first time EU enforcers have agreed common enforcement priorities. Given the global economic and market environment, enforcers around the world are likely to take note and pay particular attention to the same areas. The financial reporting topics ESMA has identified are: financial instruments; impairment of non-financial assets; defined benefit obligations; provisions that fall within the scope of IAS 37, Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets. ESMA is to monitor the application of IFRS requirements relating to these items. These common enforcement priorities will be incorporated into the reviews performed by national competent authorities – the Financial Services Authority in the UK, for example – which will take corrective action where necessary. ESMA will also collect data on how European listed entities have applied IFRS requirements in relation to these topics and will report the results to the market.
Common enforcement policies
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Financial instruments As a result of the financial crisis, transparency of information relating to financial instruments has become a top priority for investors, issuers and regulators. The provision of disaggregated and expanded disclosures about material exposures to all financial instruments that become subject to risk and the explanation of the nature and extent of that risk help protect investors. IFRS 7, Financial Instruments: Disclosures, requires entities to disclose information that enable users to evaluate: the significance of financial instruments for the entity’s financial position and performance; the nature and risks arising from financial instruments to which the entity is exposed during the period and at the end of the reporting period, and how the entity manages those risks. An entity should provide disclosures by class of financial instruments that are appropriate to the nature of the information disclosed and that take into account the characteristics of those financial instruments. ESMA expects financial statements to follow the requirements in IFRS 7 and include relevant quantitative and qualitative disclosures that reflect the nature of the risk exposure, elements related to the valuation of such financial instruments as well as an analysis of concentration of exposure to relevant risks.
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Sovereign debt Investors’ focus has been on how the sovereign debt crisis has affected the financial performance and financial position of listed financial institutions. ESMA is encouraging disclosure of the following: country-by-country disclosures, including quantitative disclosures on gross and net exposures to sovereign debt; non-sovereign exposures by type (corporate, banks, for example), including qualitative and quantitative information about credit risk; the impact of credit derivatives used in managing material exposures to financial instruments. In July 2012, ESMA published a review of the accounting treatment of Greek sovereign debt in the 2011 annual financial statements of a sample of European financial institutions.
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Impairment of financial assets IAS 39, Financial Instruments: Recognition and Measurement, requires entities to assess whether there is any objective evidence that a financial asset is impaired. An impairment loss is recognised if and only if such evidence exists. IAS 39 provides guidance as to when such objective evidence exists: as a result of an event that occurred after the initial recognition of the asset (loss event); when that loss event has an impact on the estimated cashflows of the financial asset that can be reliably estimated.
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The two issues in IAS 39 that have been identified are the application of the ‘significant or prolonged’ criteria for assessing the impairment of equity instruments, and the accounting for loans modified for economic or legal reasons relating to the borrower’s financial difficulty. IAS 39 states that a significant or
prolonged decline in the fair value of the investment below its cost is additional objective evidence of impairment. However, IAS 39 does not provide further guidance for determining what constitutes a significant or prolonged decline in fair value. Divergent practices in the application of the significant or
prolonged criteria have created varying degrees of transparency in the disclosure of judgments made. A higher level of transparency in the assessment of the trigger event for impairment is recommended by ESMA. Such transparency should be based on the provisions in IAS 1, Presentation of Financial Statements, which requires
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believes that entities should wait for an IFRIC clarification and not change their approach to determining discount rates. In the meantime, ESMA emphasises there is a particular need for transparency in this area and expects issuers to disclose the yields used and provide a description of how they determined them. Provisions within the scope of IAS 37 The measurement of provisions involves significant management judgment and could in the current market circumstances be subject to more uncertainty. The strong link between provisions and the risks an issuer is subject to makes a case for high-quality disclosures. Nevertheless, European enforcers often find that only aggregated and boilerplate information is provided. IAS 37 provides clear guidance that the aim of disclosures on provisions is to inform users about changes in amounts of provisions. It requires entities to disclose, for each class of provision, descriptions of the nature of the obligations concerned, the expected timing of outflows of economic benefits, uncertainties related to the amount and timing of those outflows as well as, if relevant, major assumptions made concerning future events. The wording used is a strong indication that these disclosures should be adapted to reflect the risks attached to the entityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities. Disclosures allow entities to provide investors with high-quality information within a principles-based environment. However, a principles-based environment can survive only if clear and entity-specific disclosures, re-assessed at the end of each reporting period, bring useful decisionmaking information to investors. Graham Holt is an examiner for ACCA, and associate dean and head of the accounting, finance and economics department at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School
management to disclose the significant judgments made in applying the entityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accounting policies. Modified loans Bank leverage is still high and thin equity buffers make banks vulnerable to shocks in performance and the economy. Many holders of bank loans are affected by the difficult economic situation and are struggling to meet their obligations. As a result a practice of forbearance has developed: where a borrower is in financial difficulties and does not pay on time, the lender decides to wait and see, perhaps even renegotiating the arrangement on more favourable terms. There are currently different practices in judgments made on the level of provisioning and disclosures for renegotiated loans. IAS 39 states that where a loan is renegotiated on substantially different terms, it should be accounted for as an extinguishment of the original financial liability and the recognition of a new one. ESMA requires transparent qualitative and quantitative disclosures in this regard.
of goodwill and intangible assets with indefinite life spans whenever significant amounts are recognised in the financial statements. IAS 36 requires detailed disclosures on the estimates used to measure the recoverable amount of cash-generating units to which significant goodwill or intangible assets with indefinite lives is allocated. ESMA emphasises the need to use assumptions that represent realistic future expectations and would expect issuers to provide entity-specific information related to assumptions used when preparing discounted cashflow (such as growth rates, discount rate and consistency of such rates with past experience) and sensitivity analyses. IAS 1 requires similar disclosures on the assumptions made about the future, and other major sources of estimation that have a significant risk of resulting in a material adjustment to the carrying amounts of assets within the next financial year. Defined benefit obligations Discounted post-employment benefit obligations should be determined
A PRINCIPLES-BASED ENVIRONMENT CAN SURVIVE ONLY IF CLEAR AND ENTITY-SPECIFIC DISCLOSURES BRING USEFUL INFORMATION TO INVESTORS
Impairment of non-financial assets The current economic situation increases the likelihood that the carrying amounts of assets might be higher than their recoverable amounts. The market value of many listed companies has fallen below their book value, which potentially indicates impairment and thus the need for an impairment test. Due to the widespread economic slowdown, assessing future cashflow requires considerable judgment to be exercised by management and is subject to high levels of uncertainty. ESMA considers that particular attention has to be paid to the valuation with reference to the market in highquality corporate bonds. However, where a country no longer has a deep market in such bonds, the market yields on government bonds should be used. With the crisis and economic downturn resulting in significant swings in market yields for some sovereign and corporate debt, the question could arise as to whether entities should change their approach when determining discount rates for their post-employment benefit obligations. The International Financial Reporting Interpretations Committee (IFRIC) is currently discussing the notion of high-quality corporate bonds. ESMA
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Picking up the value points
Taking English football’s big four teams as his example, Dr Tony Grundy explains how to explore the value of a new business model by treating it as a value system
This third article in our series on economic value added (EVA) looks at how businesses generate value as a system. This takes us much more into a more expansive thinking space – one where the basic economic principles of valuing cashflow are taken as read and where the main thing now is to use these techniques imaginatively to explore the possible value of a novel business model. Entrepreneurs understand how economic value is generated as a system, but managers and accountants alike frequently struggle with the idea. For example, in my earlier series of articles on strategy, we looked at Virgin Galactic, a venture in economy space flight. Using the Optopus tool, we generated myriad ideas for possibilities, implicit in which were a large number of possible value-creating activities. Out of these Richard Branson might pick up on things like: the venture is a lot more than putting bums on seats in space – assuming that they could be made to stick to them! the obvious strand was the additional media-related opportunities and sponsorship together with creating a bigger range of flights and destinations with a lot more going on before, after and during each flight – stretching the value over time curve (see again my earlier series of articles on strategy) much more refined customer * with segmentation, etc. So it is quite possible that in understanding the latent value of this business model it could be of an order of magnitude different to what was originally envisaged. In this business model the whole is truly greater than the sum of the parts. In short, it is a system and it is these systemic properties that we will now explore. have to take a holistic view and not one that is unduly narrow. I gave this the motto ‘vision helps value’. Nowhere is this truer than in the football industry to which we now turn.
Value in the football industry
Around 1994–95 two important things happened. First my son James, who was then about 11, decided he wanted to go to watch Arsenal. I hadn’t been to a football stadium for 25 years – when I had run on to the pitch at Manchester United and a policeman threw me back over the wall. So after those years in the wilderness, I was reborn – as an Arsenal fan. The second thing was that three of my MBA students decided to do a project on the football industry. They looked at the big teams and only one had consciously adopted a strategy: Manchester United. The project concluded that the new business model
The business value system
The idea for the business value system originally came to me in my doctoral research over 20 years ago into the linkages between strategy and EVA. A chance comment by the then director of corporate strategy at RollsRoyce Aeroengines, Simon Hart, on the topic of interdependences was: ‘The real money comes when the customer says, I will have an aeroplane, I am going to take your engine, and I have
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ECONOMIC VALUE IS USUALLY CAPTURED WHEN CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE LINED UP , SO YOU HAVE TO TAKE A HOLISTIC RATHER THAN A NARROW VIEW
a customer lined up who says he will buy 30 aircraft – and all these factors line up.’ So economic value more often than not is captured when certain conditions are lined up. This means that when looking at the value of a business, of a project or something more micro, you developed by United had vast potential for economic value creation. At the time United was, in EVA terms, still modestly small. Prior to the development of satellite TV, which then cornered the major rights to broadcast the Premier League, United’s turnover was around £10m a year and its profit
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*BUSINESS VALUE SYSTEM – FOOTBALL CLUBS
Sponsorship Player disposal Net transfer fees Merchandising Brand Match performance Player acquisition
*2011 REVENUES
According to Deloitte’s Football Money League 2012, 2010/11 revenues of English sides included: Manchester United E367M Arsenal E251M Chelsea E250M Manchester City E170M United’s turnover breakdown was: Matchday E120M TV, etc E132M Commercial E115M Total E367M
Satellite TV/ Pay TV Gate takings
Training
New player attraction
AROUND HALF OF NEW REVENUE SEEMS TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE PLAYERS IN A PROCESS DESCRIBED AS ‘FINANCIAL DIARRHOEA’
£1m; that turnover is around 3% of what it is now. Recapping on the strategy series, Porter’s five competitive forces for the football industry look like this: buyer power: very low – very favourable force entry barriers (to the top tier): very high – very favourable force business rivalry (to acquire fans):
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low – favourable force substitutes: very low – very favourable force suppliers: very high – very unfavourable force. From this we can see that the margin environment (at least within the top clubs) would be very positive, save for the one force of supplier power – the players and their agents. So does that
matter? Yes, it does – a lot! For that power means whenever new revenue is created by the clubs, around half of it seems to fall into the hands of the players in a process that has been described as ‘financial diarrhoea’. There is a very important lesson here for EVA: only a single competitive force needs to be wrong to act as a major drain at the operating profit margin (OPM) level and ultimately on EVA. In my last article I mentioned the supermarket price war in the early 1990s in the UK, foretold in a case study published just before this war crystallised. New low-cost players like Aldi and Netto came in undercutting the major players; this had the effect of increasing rivalry and also the bargaining power of buyers – as well as reducing entry barriers. The result was
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£1bn was wiped off industry margins in a single year. Now let’s look at the value-creating activities of the Premier League football industry, as shown in the diagram opposite. At the centre of the system is ‘match performance’. Without the game itself there would be no revenue, full stop. If match performance were continually bad, then the system would suffer too. Match performance drives not only gate takings (indeed, prior to 1990 that was about it as far as the model went), but also sales of merchandise, which was an engine of growth particularly at United in the 1990s. But by the late 1990s satellite TV became an even more important source of revenue, fuelling the system. After this wave of extra revenue in the post-2000 period, especially towards the end of the first decade, more revenues swept in from sponsorship – from stadium naming rights (for example, at Arsenal and Manchester City) and the like. Each time a new wave of money swept in, the players simply got wealthier, with wages sometimes over £200,000 a week. Two subsystems are apparent in the model shown in the diagram. One is the role of the brand in reinforcing revenue generation; the other is the subsystem which deals with player attraction, acquisition, development and disposal. The brand also loops into new player attraction.
On the topic of brands, two other clubs now vie with United: Chelsea and Manchester City. Both have spent hundreds of millions of pounds to do so. Chelsea has won some key trophies, including the 2012 European Champions League, putting its brand even more on the map. City also wrested the Premiership title from United on goal difference in 2011/12 and staked its claim to be a serious longer-term rival. Interestingly neither of these clubs actually makes any money; in fact, they lose it in buckets, all because of the supplier force in Porter’s five forces (as explained in my series on strategy) and the sheer salaries they are paying. Maybe their investment will pay off in the longer term – the see-saw effect described in the last article on EVA – or maybe it won’t.
year) and high interest bills. Arsenal is also a conservative club and while there are overseas investors Arsenal has never had the massive influx of money that Chelsea and City have. While the accountants are happy, on the pitch it shows at Arsenal: no trophies for seven years, partly because of underinvestment. The elements of the business value system are hugely interdependent and affect the financing systems too.
The lessons
Now stepping back a little from this industry, we have seen: The business value system evolves over time. This can happen in an emergent way or a deliberate way. It can be accelerated if there is an appropriate strategic vision. This can generate increasing and leveraged value added – with one area of value generation playing off the other. Or it can end up being far too dilutive or complicated. Potential value creation can get destroyed by an adverse set of Porter’s five forces. In my next article we will do a ‘deep dive’ into the business value system by looking closer at value and cost drivers.
Power of Porter
So while the business value system of the top clubs is an interesting model commercially, the effects are spoilt by just one of Porter’s forces, combined with the desperation of the City and Chelsea owners to win trophies – they are billionaires and indulging in what seems to be a hobby. Two of the top clubs do try – and succeed – in making money still: Manchester United and Arsenal. United was once a plc but after a leveraged buyout in 2005 is now very much run as a business, albeit with a mountain of debt (reducing by £60m a
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Dr Tony Grundy is an independent consultant and trainer, and lectures at Henley Business School in the UK www.tonygrundy.com
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Careers
LOOKING FOR A NEW JOB? www.accacareers.com/international
Five steps to plan your CPD
As we get settled into the new year, here are ﬁve ideas to inspire a fresh approach to planning your CPD, including tips on getting the most out of ACCA’s planning tools
1 Look back at 2012
Before considering the year ahead, it’s worth looking back at the development you undertook last year. What activities or approaches to your learning and development went particularly well? Is there anything you would do differently in the future? Are there any specific areas that you need to revisit in 2013? for 20 different finance and accounting job titles. The Professional Development Matrix is designed to help you identify your preferred learning style and the knowledge, skills and expertise you may need in either your current role, or in future roles in which you are interested – irrespective of your chosen career. Check out these and more tools with which to manage your CPD at www.accaglobal. com/members/cpd
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2 Think about timing
By planning your CPD at the start of the year, you can ensure that you not only think about your learning needs but also about when, where and how you will undertake your development. When planning your CPD, there are particular areas you will need to consider: Relevance Remember to keep relevance at the centre of your CPD planning. ACCA’s CPD programme is not solely about updating your technical accounting knowledge. If you are no longer in an accounting or finance role you should identify your CPD needs in relation to the latest developments, both in your profession and in the business world in general. Is your learning verifiable? If you are following the unit route, you are required to complete 40 units of CPD, 21 of which must be verifiable. For CPD to be verifiable, however, you need to be able to answer ‘yes’ to the following three questions: Can you explain how a learning activity is relevant to your career? Can you explain how you have, or will, apply what you learned? Can you provide evidence that you undertook the learning activity?
It is easy to become complacent about learning – you go to the same courses because the lecturer is good, or read the same business publications because your office has subscribed to them. If you venture out of your comfort zone, however, you might discover better and more relevant learning is just around the corner. Have a look at www.accaglobal.com/cpd – from networking on ACCA’s official
4 Try something new
IF YOU ARE NO LONGER IN AN ACCOUNTING OR FINANCE ROLE YOU SHOULD IDENTIFY YOUR CPD NEEDS IN RELATION TO THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The non-verifiable CPD can be general learning activity such as keeping abreast of business developments through reading or informal networking. LinkedIn members’ group to mentoring or coaching a colleague, there is something for everyone.
5 Put a date in the diary
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3 Use ACCA’s planning tools
ACCA has two planning resources designed specifically for members: ACCA Compass enables you to assess your level of experience and skill, and compare this to a recommended market average
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It is a good start to plan your CPD now, but it is also vital to introduce regular check points during the year to ensure that you are on track to meet the requirement. How about setting a reminder for June/July to review your progress and assess how much CPD you still have to do?
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Careers
On board
Thinking about becoming a non-executive director? A recent ACCA Ireland event offered some insight and advice
The path to becoming a non-executive director (NED), particularly the first one, can seem daunting to some and a recent ACCA Ireland event was designed to de-mystify the process. ‘Thinking about becoming a NonExecutive Director? What you need to know’ also served as a reminder of the particular skills set accountants bring to the table, in terms of assessing an organisation’s performance, and providing strategic input and guidance to the CEO and executive team. becoming an NED, he pointed to a recent survey that showed 50% of people felt board membership to be restricted and overly based on personal relationships. However, steps are being taken to address this, he said. ‘The government has started to advertise positions on state boards for the first time and this creates an opportunity for many ACCA members to apply for NED positions.’ becoming a NED that it was important to recognise that, in this role, ‘you are not running the company, you are part of a board providing a strategic framework. You are responsible for overall delivery, but you do this through the CEO.’ She added that the work of a board is typically substantial and should not be underestimated. ‘If the organisation is small then you may be doing the work that, in a larger organisation, would be done by the company executives.’ For those tempted to see not-for-profit organisations as a stepping stone to more commercial organisations, Doyle cautioned that board members could find themselves dealing with very serious issues, often on straitened resources. ‘It’s important to choose a sector where you feel you have something to offer,’ she stressed. With regard to the risks of board membership, she point to her experience in ComReg as preparing her for the challenges of being sued. ‘If you’re not comfortable with that, then don’t go on a regulatory board,’ she said. She concluded that it was good practice, before going on a board, ‘to see the books and meet the people involved. I’ve never been refused and, if I was, I wouldn’t take membership much further,’ she said.
Contribution
Etain Doyle FCCA was the first head of Ireland’s Communications Regulatory Agency, ComReg. She explained her motivation to becoming a board member over the years and the lessons she has learned in the process. As a civil servant working for the Department of Foreign Affairs, Doyle found herself on the boards of a number of not-for-profit bodies in the 1980s and, later in her career, found herself invited to join the boards of a range of diverse bodies. ‘In all cases, I was asked to join because I had been involved in the organisations in some capacity. They felt I had something to contribute. Today, all the boards I am involved in reflect areas that I am interested in,’ she explained. Doyle told attendees interested in
Diversity
Welcoming participants to the event at the Clarion Hotel IFSC, on 20 November 2012, Tom Murray FCCA, president, ACCA Ireland, stressed that ACCA members are perfectly positioned to apply for NED positions. Not only are governance, risk, ethics and corporate reporting intrinsic to the ACCA qualification, but diversity is also a core value of ACCA membership. Research has shown that diversity has ‘moved from a nice-to-have to an essential component of business success, encouraging innovation and business performance, and helping to avoid the group-think mentality,’ Murray said. On the challenges of
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Communicating
Life coach Paula Mullin offered advice on how new NEDs can make their voices heard in the boardroom. Mullin addressed a number of issues that commonly arise, including how to avoid the herd mentality and how to deal with the politics and personalities of the boardroom. ‘If you’re asked to sit on a board, you’re not there to keep the seat warm, you’re there to bring something to the table,’ she stressed. In terms of making yourself heard, Mullin said there were two things to bear in mind before a meeting: what the other members currently know about an item on the agenda and what they feel about this. ‘By the end of your contribution, you have to ask yourself what you want them to know and what you want them to feel about this item,’ she said. Reminding attendees of the importance of body language, she highlighted the value of using hand gestures to effectively support a message; of the need to read other faces in the room; and of the value of voice and tone. ‘You can only influence if you look people in the eyes,’ she said, adding volume is required to send information up the table, but equally the power of pausing is important, ‘to allow people to here what you have just said’. In terms of dealing with difficult personalities in a board room, she stressed the need to defer judgment, to actively listen and to respond appropriately. ‘There are meant to be
challenges but you should respect the people in the room,’ she said, recalling the observation once made to her by a CEO: ‘I speak my mind on issues with the best interest of the company at heart. In doing so, I don’t get caught up in the politics.’ Mullin concluded that: ‘at the heart of becoming a better communicator is confidence – have confidence in your message and what you share in the room.’
Getting started
John Doris FCCA, MD of Meridian Business Advisors, concluded the event by offering practical advice on getting started as a NED. Recognising the challenge many first-timers face in terms of getting a position, he stressed the value of joining a not-for-profit board. ‘Very experienced business people serve on the boards of charities and working with them is a great opportunity to learn. When people see you are effective, you will be recommended for other positions.’ With new limits being set on the number of non-executive directorships an individual can hold, fresh opportunities are emerging. Doris recommended www.boardmatchireland. ie as a great first start for ACCA members (see page 56). The site helps match up non-executive boards with prospective new board members. ‘Often these boards don’t have financial expertise and an accountant can soon find themselves head of the audit committee,’ he said.
Doris concurred with others on the importance of due diligence before joining a board and on the need to ‘look for both integrity and competence’ in an organisation’s management structure. A robust personal exit strategy is also important, given the responsibilities a NED takes on. ‘You have to see if there is a culture of openness and that people will listen to what you have to say. You are not going to add value if people don’t listen, so in that case, it is best to resign.’
Opportunities
Doris also pointed to the growing opportunity on publicly-owned boards and noted there are 388 semi-state bodies in total in Ireland, all likely to have audit committees and to require financial expertise. ‘Quite often, the government doesn’t know where to find suitable candidates and there is a particular opportunity for women, as there is a need to improve the gender balance of boards.’ He pointed to the websites of government departments as places where expressions of interest for board membership are announced when vacancies arise. In the Q&A session that concluded, the value of networking was stressed, with attendees reminded that organisations are much more likely to open their doors to someone who is already known to them in some capacity. Donal Nugent, editor
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Careers
The non-proﬁt route
Dimitris Karagiorgis FCCA on the opportunity presented by BoardmatchIreland.ie
Boardmatch strives to improve the corporate governance in the notfor-profit sector in Ireland and is an ideal way for ACCA members to begin the journey of making a professional contribution to the voluntary sector. There is a great deal to be gained by getting professionally involved with a voluntary organisation: Obtaining experience at a board level is a clear advantage to expand our skill set and experience, particularly in governance, networking and leadership skills; As individuals, we enjoy getting involved with causes we feel worth contributing to and this is a straightforward way to put our energy and skills to such use; and, Supporting a good cause has positive implications for society as a way of ‘giving back’. the organisation inviting them to look at your profile by clicking on ‘read more’ and ‘contact organisation’. Upon viewing your profile, they will respond indicating if they want to take it further. If you are both interested, subsequently, you can then disclose your name/contact details to them and either party can discuss the possible match further. Conversely, an organisation may also search through candidates marked as active and indicate their interest in you. An important element of the matching service is respect for anonymity at the initial stage: the name and contact details are never disclosed until you give explicit permission to do so. Subsequent contact between the two parties enables the mutual decision on whether this is the right person for the right position in the right organisation. As over 500 professional matches have been achieved so far, you are deemed to find sooner or later, a good match. improve the reporting presentation of finances to the board and to external sources, provide further advice on financial matters, but also assist in the prudent running of the organisation as a whole. For instance, the treasurer’s role often involves the presentation of income and expenses for the period and of year-to-date, plus comparison with the budget and prior-year figures. Cashflow and overview of material incomes/expenses may be reviewed and outstanding cheques may be signed. It is also expected that the treasurer will advise the board on financial administration matters, sourcing of finance, coordination of the audit and the timely registration of any required forms to the relevant authorities, such as the annual report to the CRO and relevant forms to the Revenue.
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Getting started
The first stage of the process is to register your personal profile online as a candidate. This includes: contact details, educational history, employment background, volunteering experience, skills, area the organisations must be located in and not-for-profit interests. A list of the available positions that best match the profile information you have entered is returned and you may choose to follow up with any of those positions. You can send a message to
Contribution
Volunteering through Boardmatch is straightforward, educational and hopefully beneficial to your development. I invite you to inquire at www.boardmatchireland.ie about voluntary positions with not-for-profit organisations you may be interested in contributing to. Dimitris Karagiorgis is group treasury accountant at CRH
Responsibilities
Board members meet usually monthly or bi-monthly for a couple of hours reviewing progress of the organisation and setting the agenda going forward. Accountants, in particular, have the opportunity to practice their expertise to overview the proper running of the often part-time accounting function,
The postgrad pages
Interested in doing an MBA, MSc or other postgraduate qualiﬁcation? Our special quarterly section of Accounting and Business explores the options and the issues involved
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MB why?
It might be a stressful experience but studying for a postgrad qualiﬁcation can make a huge difference to your career. The real question is how to manage that stress effectively
HIGHER HIRES
You’ve already worked your socks off to get a professional qualification, and wherever you are on your career timeline you have almost certainly felt the current pressures of an unstable economy and periods of low morale in the workplace. One way of putting yourself in the best possible position and ahead of the crowd, whether you are after career stability, promotion or a new job, is to have an MBA. But with work already so highly pressured, how can you best manage yet more stress? Work-related stress has been a growing issue for years. Last year’s annual absence management survey from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) didn’t make for happy reading. The level of reported mental health problems such as anxiety and depression among employees has doubled since 2009. Workload is a growing stress-related problem, with 57% of organisations ranking it among the top three most common causes of absence, compared with 48% in 2011. Yet nearly one-third of survey respondents said that their organisation was not actively doing anything to reduce it. ‘Stress is one of the biggest causes of cardiovascular disease and employee absence,’ says Sam Kotadia, psychologist and managing director of MindSport. ‘Employers need to show a duty of care to help employees manage stress. It’s a huge health and safety issue. And stress can impact on other areas. It can be isolating and leave the MBA hires are on the rise, according to an end-of-year global employer poll by the Graduate Management Admission Council. Some 76% plan to hire recent MBAs in 2013 compared with 69% last year. GMAC president and CEO Dave Wilson said: ‘Employers recognise that employees with graduate business degrees are a wise investment in uncertain times.’
Oxford Brookes University
ACCA FAST TRACK AT OXFORD
The Oxford Brookes global MBA allows ACCA members studying through distance learning an accelerated entry route with programme completion in as little as 21 months. A fast-track option to study on campus is also now available to ACCA members.
MBA E-ZINE
Look out for our special MBA editions of AB Direct with exclusive offers from business schools for ACCA members. www.accaglobal.com/abdirect
ADVERTISE ON THESE PAGES
Are you a business school, college or university? To advertise on these pages, email Rory O’Toole at rory@acca-media.com
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The postgrad pages
Research published last year in the International Journal of Business and Management Tomorrow looked at stress levels of MBA students in a number of business schools in India. ‘The results clearly indicate that students are stressed,’ the report found. Among the common sources of stress it listed were ‘psychological pressure to perform well in examinations’, lower grades than anticipated, family expectations, uncertainty of getting a job, and competition with other students.
FEELING THE STRAIN
MANCHESTER’S CYBER CHALKFACE
All the leading business schools have sophisticated support schemes to help MBA students juggling work and home commitments. Manchester Business School has a number of initiatives for its Global MBA including: E-facilitators – high-achieving MBA graduates in senior positions in leading companies such as KPMG, IBM and Unilever. They answer any questions a student on the course may have. 24/7 support – a dedicated portal that offers news, announcements, academic information and online resources at the click of a mouse. The ‘classroom of the future’ – the development of ‘transnational education’ through virtual classrooms, interactive whiteboards, flexible teaching spaces, podcasts and webinars. Careers guidance – Manchester Business School offers a comprehensive careers service specifically for its part-time MBA students.
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sufferer feeling as though things are spiralling out of control.’ The demanding workload of an MBA, along with all your other commitments could be a recipe for disaster but not, according to the experts, if you recognise the signs of stress and manage your way through it. And ultimately, the reward will be more than worth it. Derek Walker, director of careers at Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, says: ‘An MBA is a broadbased business toolkit covering a wide range of business-related disciplines. While there may be some areas of overlap with subjects studied as part of a professional accounting qualification, the process of studying for an MBA at a good school with a diverse group of classmates exposes the student to a range of business concepts such as strategy, marketing, operations, management and so on, different ways of thinking, and a broad
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Think. You can.
Original Thinking Applied
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The postgrad pages
network that they will probably draw on throughout their career.’ ACCA works with the Saïd School and offers the Diploma in Financial Strategy, a master’s-level course that provides the essential elements of an MBA for qualified accountants. The one-year course starts annually in January, with four four-day tuition modules, assessed by a project or exam, and concluding with a 10,000word business project. It might seem intimidating, but there are several ways you can manage your stress levels and turn negatives into positives. Kotadia says: ‘Stress can be either debilitative or facilitative. It can push you to develop avoidance techniques.’ This is why it’s so important to have a strategy in place to manage stress and take control from the earliest stage. Kotadia suggests focusing on the process, not the outcome: ‘Don’t think about passing, or the grade you want
to achieve. Instead, get the workload, or revision, into a palatable format. In sports psychology we tell athletes not to focus on winning the match but on keeping on their toes and staying balanced. Once you’re in control of the building blocks, the outcome will take care of itself. ‘One cause of stress is feeling that everything is out of control. Ignore events beyond your own influence and direct your attention towards actions and processes that you have control over. Positive results will follow.’ Most people experience stress when problems seem too large to handle. ‘If you break your problems down into manageable chunks, it will reduce their enormity and allow you to focus on how to tackle them, promoting a problemsolving mindset,’ says Kotadia. ‘Chess grandmasters use this same technique to break down the chess board into bite-size sections, allowing them to plan their overall game-plan.’
Your state of mind is one of the biggest predictors of behaviour. If you are becoming overwhelmed with your studies, shift your focus on to something you enjoy doing beforehand and give yourself a mood boost. Kotadia says: ‘Use the moment you feel stress as a trigger and a precursor to the positive behaviour – the feelgood thing, whether it’s going to the gym, playing sport, listening to music or acting creatively.’ Finally, be realistic with your expectations. ‘Stress is an inevitable part of life,’ says Kotadia. ‘Believing it is possible to live life completely stressfree will only add pressure and make the situation worse. Although you cannot always control the occurrence of stressful events, you can control how you react to them. Focus on your reaction strategies and you will significantly limit the effect of stress.’ Beth Holmes, journalist
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ACCA
Diary
BELFAST
Members Evening 13 February 18.00 – 20.00 Ulster Members’ Network Alan Dewey Radisson Blu, The Gasworks Two CPD units Dealing with Revenue Audit 19 February 18.15 – 20.15 Leinster Members’ Network Seamas O’Casthasaigh, Revenue Radisson Blu, Golden Lane Two CPD units Business Breakfast 21 February 07.30 – 09.00 Business Leaders’ Forum Dermot Desmond, IIU Westbury Hotel Two CPD units Banking Update 26 February 18.00 – 20.00 Financial Services Network Ray Kinsella, UCD Clarion Hotel, IFSC Two CPD units
DUNDALK
Technical Update 27 February 18.00 – 20.00 Leinster Members’ Network Aidan Clifford, ACCA Ireland Crowne Plaza
NAAS
Taxation Update 13 February 18.00 – 20.00 Leinster Members’ Network Sasha Keirns, Grant Thornton The Osprey Two CPD units
CORK
PRSI in Family Employment 7 February 18.00 – 20.00 Munster Members’ Network Brendan Casey Clarion Hotel, Lapps Quay Two CPD units
GALWAY
Taxation Update 05 February 18.00 – 20.00 Connaught Members’ Network Frank Walsh, Grant Thornton Menlo Park Hotel Two CPD units
SLIGO
Insolvency Update 20 February 18.00 – 20.00 Connaught Members’ Network Tom Murray, Friel Stafford Corporate Recovery The Glasshouse Two CPD units
DUBLIN
IFRS 4 & 9 5 February 18.00 – 20.00 Financial Services Network Fergus Condon Grant Thornton Clarion Hotel IFSC Two CPD units
LIMERICK
Insolvency Bill 26 February 18.00 – 20.00 Munster Members’ Network Brian McEnery, BDO Clarion Hotel, Steamboat Quay Two CPD units
ACCA Approved Employer
63
The view from:
Q Tell us about your role in IBM? A I just started my new role as finance and planning manager, IBM Ireland Global Services. This is my seventh role in my 14 years with IBM and the role involves managing and supporting a highly-skilled group of accountants who are involved in our ITS and outsourcing services business. The role is in one of the main revenue generating business units, so it gets a lot of focus locally and from corporate. I am looking forward to the challenge! Q What are your key business challenges in the year ahead? A One of the key business challenges is to ensure the achievement of continued customer satisfaction for both the internal and external customers that I support. The other major challenges I see are the continual pressure on driving cost efficiencies while focusing on adding value and becoming a trusted business adviser to the business units that I support. The other major challenge is the hugely important task of developing and motivating the team who work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. Q How do you plan to overcome them? A Being organised and having a good team behind you is the key to overcoming any challenge. Your network is also another vitally important tool in dealing with challenges, as often knowing who to turn to help resolve a problem is half the battle. In order to tackle the team development challenge, I will be working with each team member to draw up a skills and development gap analysis. This will identify what skills they need to improve and what new skills they need to acquire in order to develop and progress their career. To help keep a team motivated, it is very important to acknowledge the positives in your team and
Dublin: Brian Keyes, ﬁnance and planning manager, IBM Ireland Global Services
the work they do. Be ‘real’ with your team and you earn their respect. Q How does the ACCA Approved Employer Programme help you achieve your goals? A The ACCA Approved Employer Programme has been a huge asset to IBM and, in previous roles, it has helped me to attract students into our graduate programme and has also helped when recruiting qualified personnel. I am passionate about employee education and development and, helping me in this goal, is the work I do as part of the IBM Ireland team who liaise with ACCA Ireland. Over the years, we have built up a very strong relationship between IBM and ACCA Ireland and a lot of activity has developed out of the ACCA Approved Employer Programme. For example, for the last number of years we have held a free CPD session with ACCA Leinster Members Network with both IBM and ACCA providing the speakers. Apart from the networking benefits I have gained from the programme, it has even given me some event-management skills!
Dublin
*FAST FACTS
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Commute time 40 minutes Favourite getaway Youghal, Co. Cork Must-watch TV Dexter
WE WANT YOUR VIEW If you’d like to feature on this page get in touch at donal.nugent@accaglobal.com
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ACCA
Council highlights
Council’s final meeting of 2012 took place at 29 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London on 24 November. It was held immediately following the annual meeting of ACCA’s International Assembly. Assembly members Chama Kamukwamba (South Africa) and Katerina Sipkova (Czech Republic) were invited to give oral reports to Council on the outcomes of the Assembly meeting, including the debates Assembly members held around the topics of ACCA as a digital organisation and the future of the professions – global trends. A number of other matters were debated at the Council meeting: Council met in breakout groups to discuss issues around the future of the professions, a topic which had also been considered by the International Assembly. The discussions centred around how shifts in society have impacted on professional bodies, the key challenges and opportunities which will affect these organisations, and ACCA’s possible responses to these. The outcomes of the discussions will help to inform the development of ACCA’s strategy beyond 2015. Council also considered the regular report of the chief executive covering strategic developments both within and outside ACCA and developments in key markets. Council approved a policy approach to Standards for Business to be adopted by ACCA. The approach is designed to capture input from a number of stakeholders, including investors, preparers, standard setters and regulators. It supports
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ACCA’s strategic objective to lead and shape the agenda of the profession and to be the leading global accountancy body in reputation, influence and size. On a recommendation from the nominating committee, Council agreed to co-opt Japheth Katto FCCA to Council for three years. Katto is chief executive officer of the Capital Markets Authority of Uganda. He is a board member of the International Federation of Accountants and has also held key appointments with International Organisation of Securities Commissions and the Ugandan national accountancy body. This is the first occasion that Council has used the powers of co-option granted to it under bye-law 23 since the bye-law change was effected in 2009. Council believes that Katto’s membership of Council will strengthen the skills mix on Council and will be an asset to ACCA. Council also invited into full membership of ACCA five senior accountants based in the People’s Republic of China. This was done in accordance with Membership Regulation 3(f). In other business, Council agreed a timetable for choosing its preferred nominee for vice president in 2013/14. It also received presentations from the chairmen of the Governance Design and Market Oversight committees on the work plans for their committees for the coming year. The next scheduled meeting of Council will take place in London on 16 March 2013.
INVOLVED IN ACCOUNTING FOR INSURANCE CONTRACTS?
ACCA’s technical department is looking to set up a technical advisory group of members with an interest in insurancerelated corporate reporting and other accounting issues, for example through their work for insurers, or through acting for them as clients. We want to hear from members
around the world in view of the ongoing impact which the International Accounting Standards Board’s current project will have on corporate reporting in this area. The group will complement the work of ACCA’s Global Forum for Corporate Reporting, which considers wider accounting issues.
Subject to interest, it is proposed the group will first meet in spring 2013. It will be possible to join the meeting through videoconferencing or conference call, or in person in London. If you are interested, please contact Richard.Martin@accaglobal.com or Paul.Cooper@accaglobal.com
ACCA news
65
Balancing act
A new survey by ACCA and the Institute of Management Accountants shows that cost reduction, financial control, and the emerging responsibility of forecasting are the top three priorities for today’s finance leaders The finance professionals surveyed for the December 2012 Finance Leaders Survey Report revealed that while they need to continue to firmly control the cost base, they must also sustain their businesses’ growth strategies by providing business insight to support decision making. Respondents answered that their biggest challenge is coping with ‘too many finance priorities.’ The report examines the six key issues for CFOs: 1. Current priorities 2. The effectiveness of the finance function 3. Finance function challenges 4. The importance of different skills 5. Identification of key stakeholders 6. How finance leaders allocate their time ACCA and IMA will be revisiting this research every six months to track sentiment and attitudes, which will build a picture of how these issues are evolving for the profession. Jamie Lyon, head of corporate sector at ACCA, said: ‘We know the role that finance leaders are performing is challenging. In the present environment, there continue to be challenges on the cost base, but of course, businesses are also trying to look to the future to find paths for growth. So there is a focus from the finance function to work with business to drive insight into the appropriate decisions. This is both a reflection of the current environment and, I think, a reflection of the trajectory of the longer-term priorities of the function. We really see a challenge right now in getting this balance and focus right because the survey suggests this isn’t necessarily where leaders consider the function to be strongest right now.’
Greener SMEs
Action is needed to embed sustainability in small businesses
Policymakers, regulators and finance professionals must help small businesses adopt sustainable business practices as their huge environmental impact is being overlooked, says ACCA. Despite accounting for more than 90% of global businesses, SMEs have been Gold: start tackling marginalised in the sustainable waste business practices debate and slow to adopt environmentrelated improvements. In a new policy paper, Embedding sustainability in SMEs, available at www.accaglobal.com/smallbusiness, ACCA’s Global Forum for SMEs has called for action to help smaller businesses become more efficient and environmentally friendly. SME-specific measures and approaches will be needed, with policymakers taking into account not only the differences between large companies and SMEs, but also the differences between micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, says the report. Forum chairman Mark Gold said: ‘In terms of economic activity, employment and waste, small businesses make a huge impact and it is critical that they and those who advise and regulate them recognise this and begin to take steps to tackle waste and promote efficiency.’
PHILOSOPHY DEGREE FOR BRAND
ACCA chief executive Helen Brand has been awarded an honorary doctorate in philosophy by Amity University Uttar Pradesh, India. Brand said: ‘Receiving this degree was a very real privilege for me. I am passionate about life-long learning and the benefits that education and training can bring.’
Embedding sustainability for SMEs calls for action to help smaller businesses become more efficient
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ACCA news
Latest issue now available at www. accaglobal.com/futuresjournal
CFOs LOOK TO FUTURE
Inside ACCA
64 Council highlights 63 Approved Employer
ACCA tuition for June exams
ACCA exam results for the December 2012 exams are issued from 8 February 2013. ACCA platinum approved learning partners are now accepting applications for tuition for the June 2013 exams and can be contacted directly at: Dublin Business School www.dbs.ie Griffith College Dublin www.gcd.ie Griffith College Cork www.gcc.ie Independent Colleges www.independentcolleges.ie
Three CFOs are featured in videos looking at the big trends shaping their role in the future. Richard Moat FCCA, CFO of Eircom Group, Alan Johnson FCCA, CFO of Portugal-based Jerónimo Martins, and Holger Lindner, member of Singapore CFO Institute Advisory Council and former CFO of Daimler South East Asia, look at issues such as achieving sustainable growth in developing markets, managing volatility and dealing with increased scrutiny. The videos, along with ACCA’s recent report, The changing role of the CFO, are available at www.accaglobal.com/cfo
PHILOSOPHY DEGREE FOR BRAND
ACCA chief executive Helen Brand has been awarded an honorary doctorate in philosophy by Amity University Uttar Pradesh, India. Brand said: ‘Receiving this degree was a very real privilege for me. I was extremely pleased to be at the graduation ceremony, where I had the pleasure to address the graduates and explain why this honorary degree matters to me. As chief executive of ACCA, I am passionate about life-long learning and the benefits that education and training can bring.’
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Full list of tuition providers available at www.accaglobal.com/tuition
DIPLOMA IN INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL REPORT (CORK AND DUBLIN)
The Diploma in International Financial Report (DipIFR) is available in early 2013 in Cork and Dublin. Distant learning options are also available. Full details at: www.accaglobal.com/en/ qualifications/glance/dipifr/overview.html If you are a finance professional who is not already knowledgeable about the details of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), this qualification has a fast and efficient solution to meet your needs. You need to develop a working knowledge of the area, and the DipIFR will make this happen. For further information, please contact: Helen Long at Griffith College Cork helen.long@ gcc.ie Susan King at Griffith College Dublin susan.king@ gcd.ie Dave O’Donoghue/Ripu Bevins at Independent Colleges acca@independentcolleges.ie
CANADA AT TIPPING POINT
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The coming years will see Canadian business, policymakers and society reach a tipping point for a green economy, concludes a new ACCA report, Canada and the green economy. It discusses the issues around whether Canada is ready for the green economy. The accountancy profession will play a critical role in safeguarding the country’s future generations and natural resources. The report gathers opinions from two ACCA-organised roundtables that were held in Vancouver and Toronto. The report is available at www. accaglobal.com/accountability
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